Postdoc in Molecular Neurobiology

Applications are invited for a fulltime one-year postdoc position starting 1 January 2025, in the field of electrophysiology and molecular neurobiology at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark.
 

Expected start date and duration of employment

This is a one–year position from 1 January 2025, or as soon possible thereafter.  

Job description

You will be part of an international and dynamic research group at Aarhus University studying link between O-GlcNAcylation dysfunction and intellectual disability.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Designing and executing scientific projects
• Establishment of neuronal primary cultures to be used in confocal microscopy experiments
• Leading MEA electrophysiology experiments
• Student training and supervision
• Design and production of visual material for scientific communication

Your profile

Applicants should hold a PhD in Molecular Biology or similar. A previous postdoc employment, and extensive experience in the O-GlcNAc field is an advantage. 

Applicants should also have passed the Laboratory Animal Science EU function A/D test, and have experience in the following skills:

• Laboratory techniques:
  • Brain dissection and primary cortical and hippocampal neuronal culture
  • siRNA design and work
  • Two-electrode voltage-clamp electrophysiology of channels in Xenopus laevis oocytes
  • Confocal microscopy and image analysis of neuronal cultures (synapses count, co-localization, etc.)
  • Molecular biology techniques (western blot, qPCR, immunofluorescence, etc.)
  • Synaptosome isolation
  • Mass-spec sample preparation
• Soft skills: 
  • Project management
  • Student supervision
  • Ability for independent work
  • Inquisitive and creative

Who we are

The DVA group, at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, is a multicultural and multidisciplinary research group leading in the research of OGT-CDG, a rare glycosylation disorder associated with mutation in the glycosyltransferase OGT. 

What we offer

The department offers:

• A well-developed research infrastructure, laboratories and access to shared equipment
• An exciting interdisciplinary environment with many national, international and industrial collaborators
• A research climate encouraging lively, open and critical discussion within and across different fields of research
• A work environment with close working relationships, networking and social activities
• A workplace characterised by professionalism, equality and a healthy work-life balance.

Place of work and area of employment

The place of work is Universitetsbyen 81, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments. 
 

Contact information

For further information, please contact: Dr. Daan van Aalten, [email protected]. 

Deadline

Applications must be received no later than 6 November 2024.


Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline. Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

Formalities and salary range

Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.

At the Faculty of Natural Science at Aarhus University, we strive to support our scientific staff in their career development. We focus on competency development and career clarification and want to make your opportunities transparent. On our website, you can find information on all types of scientific positions, as well as the entry criteria we use when assessing candidates. You can also read more about how we can assist you in your career planning and development.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

 


Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/