Postdoc in “Intravital Imaging: Visualization of Renal Microvascular Structure and Functions” at the Department of Biomedical Sciences

 Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen

We invite applications for a postdoc position in the field of renal physiology, vascular physiology, and blood flow imaging as per 1st April 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is a fixed-term full time position for 2 years.

We are looking for an exceptional candidate with interdisciplinary skills: animal experimentation, ex vivo and in vivo imaging, and data analysis. It is crucial that the candidate has experience in working in an interdisciplinary environment.

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

About the research project

The kidney links cardiovascular and metabolic systems through regulation of the water-salt balance, hormone release, and blood pressure. With this, changes in the structure and function of the renal vasculature can be a cause or an aggravating factor in various diseases (i.e., hypertension, diabetes kidney disease etc). However, little is known about the pathology-related changes in the renal microcirculation and their effects on kidney autoregulation. In this project, the successful applicant will develop a methodology to extract information about the renal microcirculatory structure and dynamics to understand how the autoregulation provides renoprotection and how new drugs (SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists) can affect this system.

This project brings together a team of experts in physiology, physics, and computer sciences. The project covers mapping of dynamical features of microcirculatory networks and deep learning segmentation of the topological structure of the renal vascular networks.

https://bmi.ku.dk/english/research/circulation-kidney-and-lung/sorensen-group/

Your job responsibilities

Your position as a postdoc in renal physiology is primarily research-based but will also involve teaching assignments. You will contribute to the development of the department through research in high international quality. You will work in a highly interdisciplinary environment, where you will receive supervision and guidance.

Your main tasks will consist of:

• Independent research of high international quality, including publications and grant applications;
• Performance of experiments in animal models, including animal surgery and operation of imaging tools;
• Analysis of image data in MATLAB;
• Physiological interpretation of your observations and alignment with model predictions;
• Collaboration with colleagues to perform translational research.

Your competences

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic researcher with the following competencies and experience:

• You have academic qualifications at PhD level, preferably within one of the following areas: physiology, biology, bioengineering, biomedical sciences;
• You must have basic knowledge of vascular and/or renal physiology;
• You must be skilled in surgical preparation (surgical exposure of the kidney, tracheotomy, blood vessel cannulation) of animal models (rodents)
• You must hold a valid FELASA certification or corresponding certification allowing you to work with living animals.
• You must have experience in working with imaging techniques e.g. Multiphoton Microscopy, Laser Speckle Flowmetry, Ultrasound, and Computer Tomography is preferrable
• You must have good programming skills in MATLAB/ PYTHON;
• You have an active interest in interdisciplinary research;
• You have good English skills, both written and spoken.

Place of employment

The place of employment is at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and state-of-the-art techniques.

Terms of employment

The position is a fixed-term full-time position limited to a period of 2 years.

The starting date is April 1st, 2025 or soon after.

Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations). Currently, the monthly salary starts at 38,575 DKK/approx. 5,170 EUR (April 2024 level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions, if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Questions
For further information please contact Charlotte Mehlin Sørensen [email protected]; www.sund.ku.dk

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. Motivation letter of application (max. one page).
2. CV incl. education, work/research experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.
3. A certified/signed copy of a) PhD certificate and b) Master of Science certificate. If the PhD is not completed, a written statement from the supervisor will do.
4. List of publications.

Deadline for applications: 2nd February 2025, 23.59pm CET

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not meet the aforementioned requirements.

The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorised 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. 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.

You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

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

Interviews are expected to be held in week 8 and 9.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.