PhD position in Kidney Disease Modelling at reNEW Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW) at Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen is looking for a PhD candidate to join the Little group starting 1 February 2025 or upon agreement. You will be part of an interdisciplinary team involved in the application of stem-cell derived kidney organoids for disease modelling.


The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW
reNEW is an international consortium of three leading research institutions; the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, The Netherlands. The Mission of reNEW is to bring together research excellence to harness the therapeutic potential in stem cell medicine. For this, researchers within reNEW address fundamental questions in stem cell and developmental biology and aim to translate research findings to products that will help patients with incurable disorders such as congenital kidney disorders, chronic ulcerative disorders, neurological disorders, and diabetes.

Information on the department can be found at: https://renew.ku.dk

Our research
In the group of Professor Melissa Little, we use our underlying knowledge of normal kidney development to direct the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells to kidney organoids. These stem cell-derived tissues are used to better understand human development, model genetics forms of kidney disease and evaluate options for the treatment of end stage renal disease.

Job description
We are seeking an enthusiastic and outstanding PhD candidate with a experience in pluripotent stem cell culture in the area of kidney and an interest in disease modelling.
Key activities include:

• Adapting current differentiation protocols for scale-up
• Optimising differentiation from patient-derived, gene edited and isogenic lines.
• Development of a phenotypic screen for genetic kidney disease
• Applying high content imaging to the screening of a drug library
• Interrogating stem cell-derived organoid models to understand disease pathobiology

Qualifications

• You should have a Master's degree in Life Sciences and experience from a relevant field such as stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine.
• You have a experience in pluripotent stem cell culture including maintenance, expansion and directed differentiation to human kidney endpoints
• You have experience with confocal microscopy of fixed and live tissue
• You have a background knowledge of genetic kidney disease, including cystic kidney disease
• A solution-oriented, organizational and positive mindset is required.
• The ability to work in a highly collaborative international environment both independently and as part of the team is essential.
• Fluency in English is essential.

We offer

• A stimulating, challenging and multifaceted research environment.
• A supportive team to work and collaborate with.
• Possibilities for continued education and training.
• Attractive employment conditions.
• Centrally located workplace.

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW) at Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

Terms of salary, work, and employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The start date is 1 February 2025 or after agreement.

The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s successful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.

Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agree­ment between the Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

Questions
For further information please contact Melissa H Little; e-mail [email protected]; https://renew.ku.dk/research/reseach-groups/little-group/

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure
Your online application must be submitted in English by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page).
2. Curriculum vitae incl. education, experience, previous employments, language skills and other relevant skills
3. List of three references (full address, incl. email and phone number)
4. List of publications
5. Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science

Deadline for applications: 3 November 2024



Assessment procedure
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.

The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.

Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

The applicants will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

You find information about the recruitment process at: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the oldest university in Denmark. It is among the largest universities in Scandinavia and is one of the highest ranking in Europe. The University´s eight faculties include Health Sciences, Humanities, Law, Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Science, Social Sciences and Theology. www.ku.dk

We want to reflect the surrounding society and encourage all qualified persons, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.