Staff Scientist Position in Urothelial Stem Cells

A staff scientist position for 2 years is available in the group of Mariaceleste Aragona at reNEW, University of Copenhagen. The team studies fundamental mechanisms of stem cell biology and tissue architecture establishment and maintenance. Starting date for this position is the 1 June 2025, or upon agreement with the chosen candidate.

Job description: We are seeking an enthusiastic candidate with a background in stem cell biology and/or tissue engineering. The candidate will work closely with the other team members to develop tools to perform high-contant image-based screening on urothelial cells and unravel how mechanical cues e.g., stretching and compression regulates cell behaviors within urothelial tissues. The candidate will support projects within our group in the generation, maintenance and characterisation of 2D and 3D in vitro cell cultures from tissue-specific human stem cells. These projects incorporate principals of organoid biology, microfluidics, live imaging, and drug screening. As staff scientist you will also be responsible for housekeeping tasks and organisational support for the tissue culture section of the Aragona group.

Qualifications:

• MSc degree in life sciences or equivalent.
• Essential: Documented hands-on experience with cell culture, differentiation of epithelial cells and barrier functions assays.
• Desirable: Experience in culture of primary cells and organoids. Histological practices for analysis of protein expression across tissues. Experience in fluorescence microscopy.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Excellent English communication skills written and spoken.
• Highly scientifically curious and enthusiastic candidates are encouraged to apply. The position requires solid previous laboratory work experience.
• 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.

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine – reNEW, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories, access to state-of-the-art technologies in genomics and imaging. We offer a stimulating, challenging and multifaceted research environment with a supportive team to work and collaborate with.

The employment will be in accordance with the provisions of the collective agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) at the level of academic employee. The monthly salary will be based on the number of years of work experience (seniority). A salary supplement based on prior experiences and qualifications may be negotiated. Pension will be paid by the employer according to the terms stated in the respective collective agreements.

Application procedure

Your application at the University of Copenhagen, written in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking “Apply now” below and must include the following documents in PDF format:

• Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
• CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
• Copy of original Master of Science diploma
• Name and address of two previous employers who agreed to provide reference

The deadline for applications is 8 April 2025.

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

More information and application: www.jobportal.ku.dk

Contact: Associate Professor Mariaceleste Aragona [email protected]