PhD fellowship in Virology at the Department of Veterinary and Animal Science

We are offering a PhD fellowship in veterinary virology commencing 1 September 2024 or as soon as possible hereafter.

 

Our group and research
The group carries out research and teaching in the areas of exotic, enzootic and zoonotic viral infections in animals. This post is part of a new initiative to work on the biology of insect-borne flaviviruses (e.g. West Nile virus). These RNA viruses can replicate in insect, avian and mammalian hosts. Infection by these flaviviruses can cause disease and mortality in birds and also in a range of different “dead-end” mammalian hosts including horses, sheep, cats and rodents. Such viruses are spreading across Europe. Currently, there is limited understanding of the basis of host specificity for these viruses, and a lack of tools to follow the adaptation of the virus. In addition, current serological assays for these viruses are hampered by cross-reactivities between them.

The group at UCPH consists of two professors, two assistant professors, eight postdocs, five PhD Students, three laboratory technicians and a bunch of master and bachelor students… with almost equal gender balance. We are always very busy, but have a good, international working environment with lots of humour, cake club and flexible work assignments.

This PhD project will be performed as part of a close collaboration between this group at UCPH and the veterinary virology group within the Department of Virus & Microbiological Special Diagnostics at the Statens Serum Institut (SSI). This department includes the national reference laboratory functions for a range of notifiable viral diseases. The research work focuses on the development of new diagnostic platforms, detection and characterization of viruses/variants, virus transmission and virus/host interactions.

 

Further information on the Departments can be found at:

 https://ivh.ku.dk/          and

https://www.ssi.dk/sygdomme-beredskab-og-forskning/forskning/v/virologi-og-mikrobiologisk-specialdiagnostik

Project description

The primary focus of this project will be on flaviviruses within the Japanese Encephalitis serocomplex, which includes West Nile Virus (WNV), Usutu Virus (USUV) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). It will involve: 1) Establishment and implementation of molecular diagnostic tools for detection and differentiation of insect-borne flaviviruses 2) Development of molecular tools for species determination of hosts, vectors and blood meals 3) Development of in vitro assays for isolation and characterization of flaviviruses 4) Testing of new serological assays for detection, differentiation and characterization of anti-flavivirus antibodies   It is envisaged that lab work will be performed both at SSI and at UCPH. When working in the high containment labs at SSI then quarantine restrictions come into force.

Principal supervisor is: Prof. Lars E. Larsen, e-mail: lael@sund.ku.dk

Co-supervisor is: Prof. Graham J. Belsham, e-mail: grbe@sund.ku.dk

Dr Thomas Bruun Rasmussen (Senior Researcher at SSI) will also be a co-supervisor (e-mail: tbru@ssi.dk)

Start:                 1 September 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter

Duration:          3 years as a PhD student

 

Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD student at SUND are:

• Carrying through an independent research project under supervision. 
• Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points.
• Participating in active research environments including a stay at another research team.
• Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
• Teaching and disseminating your knowledge.
• Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project

 

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project, e.g. biological sciences. Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years).

Other important criteria are:

• The grade point average achieved
• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Previous publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other professional activities
• A curious mind-set with a strong interest in virology/microbiology
• Excellent written and spoken English skills are required, Danish skills would also be advantageous  

 

Place of employment

The place of employment is at the Dept. of Veterinary and Animal 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 and this project will involve close collaboration with the Statens Serum Institut (also in Copenhagen).

 

Terms of 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 September 2024 or as soon after as possible.

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. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 30,700 DKK/Roughly 4,100 EUR (April 2024 level) plus pension.

 

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal or co-supervisors.

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/

 

Application procedure
Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format: 

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)

2. CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position

3. 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

4. Publication list (if possible)

 

Application deadline:  7 May 2024, 23.59pm CET

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.

 

The further process
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.

 

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

 

The applicants 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 over the summer period.

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