PhD fellowship in Cardiovascular Physiology with focus on cardiac ischemia and microvascular disease

We invite applications for a full-time PhD student position, jointly supervised by Associate Professor Thomas Jepps and Associate Professor Morten B Thomsen, at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, commencing 1 August 2024 or as soon as possible hereafter.

We are seeking a talented and ambitious PhD student with an interest in integrated cardiovascular physiology.

The project and the team

In a large fraction of patients, ischemic heart disease is attributed to coronary microvascular dysfunction, a condition under the INOCA (Ischemia with No Obstructive Coronary Artery) umbrella. The project aims to identify mechanisms underlying microvascular dysfunction in INOCA through invasive mechanistic assessments of peripheral microvascular function in patients with cardiac ischemia, as well as by studies on a mouse model of coronary microvascular dysfunction. Moreover, the impact of exercise training on the disease and underlying mechanisms will be explored in both patients and animals.

The PhD student will be part of an interdisciplinary team of clinical and basic academic researchers. The collaborative approach will combine multiple models ranging from clinical assessment of patient characteristics and animal models of INOCA, to ex-vivo models such as Langendorff preparations, vascular myography and proteomics.

The PhD student will part of the team investigating the mouse model of Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) and potentially  INOCA. After model characterization, the project will focus on charactering the mechanisms underlying the disease and aligning this with data from the patients. The student will be trained in performing scientific experiments on isolated, beating mouse hearts, and is expected to run these experiments independently. Moreover, the student will design and run experiments testing the effects of exercise training on INOCA on mice. Finally, the student will learn ultrasound echocardiography of anesthetized mice to assess the effects of exercise training in vivo as well as wire myography to investigate changes in contractility of mouse coronary arteries.

Principal supervisor Associate Professor Morten B Thomsen

Start:                 1 August 2024 or as soon as possible

Duration:        3 years as a PhD fellow

Job description

Your key tasks as a PhD fellow are:

• Completing an independent research project under supervision
• Participating in PhD courses or other equivalent research education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points
• Participating in active research environments including a stay at another research team.
• Obtaining experience with teaching at university level
• Disseminating your knowledge to peers
• Writing a PhD thesis composed of individual scientific articles based on your PhD research.

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants

To be eligible for this PhD position, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree at the start of the PhD position. The degree can be in one or more of the following areas: medicine, biology, human biology, molecular biomedicine, or related areas. The ideal candidate will demonstrate knowledge of cardiovascular physiology comparable to most standard textbooks. Having completed a Master’s thesis dissertation in the field of cardiovascular research is favorable. A Danish or EU license to work with research animals and experience with handling mice is an advantage.

Other important criteria are:

• Previous education and grades achieved
• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant work experience
• Other professional activities
• A curious mind-set with a strong interest in research
• Ability to communicate clearly, and proficiency in written and spoken English.

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.

About the Department of Biomedical Sciences

Department of Biomedical Sciences is an interdisciplinary department. Our research is translational and placed in the cross-field between basic health research and the clinic/industry. Our vision is to be a leading interdisciplinary research department that generates cutting-edge knowledge with the potential to prevent and treat diseases, improve human health, and make a positive impact on society. We conduct translational research that aims to generate new knowledge that can be used in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancer. We strive to contribute to the advancement of biomedical research with a focus on translating our findings into practical solutions that benefit society. More information about the department can be found at: https://bmi.ku.dk/english/

The department is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment where employees and students can belong and thrive. All qualified applicants will receive full consideration. Candidates who, through their research, teaching, and/or service, contribute to the diversity and competencies of our department are encouraged to apply. The University of Copenhagen strives to offer a family friendly and flexible working environment with a sustainable balance between work- and private life, including parental leave schemes (up to 47 weeks for both parents) and up to six weeks of paid holidays per year. The university offers a variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families.

Terms of employment

Employment as PhD fellow is full time, i.e. the average weekly working hours is 37 hours per week.  The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The starting date is 1 August 2024.

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 and the supervisors. 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 30,400 DKK/approximately 4,070 EUR (April 2024 level) plus pension.

Questions

For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

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 (one page)

2. CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position (max. two pages)

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(2 years). 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

5. Reference letter, if available.

Application deadline 15 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.