PhD fellowship in the HORIZON-MSCA-2022-DN Doctoral Network “B-ACTIVE” on posttranslational modifications in the chemokine network

Department of Biomedical Sciences

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

University of Copenhagen

We are offering a PhD fellowship commencing 1 October 2024, and no later than 1 December 2024. The fellowship is part of the European Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network “B-ACTIVE”. The position is 36 months and funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme under the grant agreement No 101120187, acronym B-ACTIVE.

Our group and research
Website: https://bmi.ku.dk/english/ and https://bmi.ku.dk/english/research/molecular-and-translational-pharmacology/

Research Field: Molecular Pharmacology, G protein-coupled receptors, chemokine system: ligand recognition and receptor signalling.

Project description

The recent death of > 6.5 million people caused by the COVID-19 pandemic shows that treating excessive inflammation is still a major problem. Pharmaceuticals targeting cytokine/chemokine storms in lungs are, therefore, an urgent unmet medical need. Chemokines and their receptors drive migration and activation of leukocytes and inflammation. Although the ligands and receptors were identified in the last 3 decades, increasing fundamental, preclinical, and sporadic clinical evidence indicates that posttranslational regulation of chemokine ligands and receptors may impact the inflammatory reaction significantly. Our incomplete understanding of complex immune reactions prohibits efficient drug development and patient treatment.

In the B-ACTIVE network, fundamental and clinical scientists and companies will study the impact of posttranslational modifications of chemokine ligands and receptors and train 10 doctoral candidates (DCs) to future experts in this domain with a translational and interdisciplinary mindset. The DCs will characterize interactions between chemokine ligands, receptors, and glycosaminoglycans, study signalling pathways, and recognize their importance in inflammatory reactions. DCs will be trained in the complexity of inflammatory responses from basic science to clinical applications and industrial development. B-ACTIVE will improve our understanding of inflammatory reactions, aid in identifying the right drug targets, and participate in pharmaceutical development for better patient treatment.

We are seeking 1 highly motivated and intellectually curious PhD candidate to contribute to this project at the University of Copenhagen under the supervision of Prof. Mette Rosenkilde and Associate Prof. Martin Gustavsson. The successful candidate will characterize ligand binding and receptor signalling under the influence of post-translationally modified ligands and/or receptors using state-of-the-art methods for molecular pharmacological research. This includes temporal and spatial resolution of receptor signalling in heterologous receptor expression systems. Moreover, the project involves the development of novel methods for quantification of ligand binding under native receptor expression conditions as well as in genetically engineered cell lines. We provide close supervision and comprehensive training on scientific and technical aspects and foster a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive work environment.

The project will be carried out in the Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Pharmacology (Molpharm, https://bmi.ku.dk/english/research/molecular-and-translational-pharmacology/ ) at the Department of Biomedical Sciences (BMI, https://bmi.ku.dk/), which is an interdisciplinary department with research groups focused on topics spanning from basic to translational science. MolPharm encompasses multiple research groups with expertise ranging from atomic-level structural characterization to in vivo studies and clinical trials. We offer a dynamic and collaborative environment where students, postdocs, technicians, and scientists from various cultures work together on a variety of interdisciplinary projects.

Whereas the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, is a highly esteemed university, we also offer international access to industrial and scientific partners across Europe as part of the MSCA/Doctoral Network 'B-ACTIVE.' Regular meetings, workshops, and international secondments within the B-ACTIVE network will supplement the training and support provided at the host laboratory

Principal supervisor is Professor Mette Rosenkilde, rosenkilde@sund.ku.dk.

Start:                 Between 1 October 2024 and no later than 1 December 2024

Duration:          3 years as a PhD fellow

Workplace:      Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.  

Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD fellow 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.
• Writing a Ph.D. thesis on the grounds of your project
• You will travel within the B-ACTIVE network for training during at least 2 planned secondments, annual meetings, workshops, and national/international conferences.

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
We look for an individual with an excellent academic record, high intrinsic motivation, and intellectual curiosity to pursue interdisciplinary research in pharmacology, cell biology, biochemistry, and immunology. Due to the collaborative nature of the project, the ability to work in a team as well as work independently is equally important.

Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the project subject area, e.g., medical, or biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, bioengineering, biochemistry, or biotechnology. Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years).

Applicants can be of any nationality but must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Denmark for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. Time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention (1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol), compulsory national service, and/or short stays such as holidays are not considered. Applicants preferably have not more than 3 years post-master seniority.
Applicants must be eligible to work as PhD students in Denmark according to national and European regulations (e.g., visa requirements) and to travel/work in other European countries for collaborations/secondments and training.

Other important criteria are:

• Researchers must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not having already received a PhD or equivalent degree by any institution; researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.
• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project.
• Previous publications.
• Relevant work experience.
• Excellent English language skills. (Applicants should be proficient in written and spoken English (a minimum of C1 level or equivalent is desirable) and agree to use such language both for work and for any other official matter, including the selection process).

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. We offer modern, state-of-the-art laboratories, facilities, and equipment, as well as participation in training activities at the Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Pharmacology (https://bmi.ku.dk/english/research/molecular-and-translational-pharmacology/) at the University of Copenhagen (https://www.ku.dk/english/), the local Doctoral program in Pharmaceutical Sciences or the local Doctoral program on Molecular Medicine depending on the Ph.D. students main interests, and within the international and intersectoral B-ACTIVE network (https://b-active-dn.eu).

Work-life balance in the vibrant, international university city of Copenhagen, which offers options for outdoor, sports, and cultural activities.

Applicants agree to travel for several secondments (2 weeks - 3 months each) planned at project partners (Leuven and the company Synklino, Denmark).

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 October 2024 and no later than 1 December 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.  

The Ph.D. study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the Ph.D. program (2013) and the faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.

Salary, pension, and terms of employment are in accordance with the requirements from the European Commission related to the MSCA programme and 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 30,400 DKK/Roughly 4,000 EUR (April 2024 level) plus an additional pension of 17.1%.

Applicants are aware of and adhere to the principles set out in the Commission Recommendation on the European Charter for Researchers (https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/european-charter).

Applicants agree to move to the Copenhagen area (Denmark) for the entire duration of the contract in case they are selected.

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 in English 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/?set_language=en. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. Be aware that official transcripts of any degree achieved, preferably including average or final marks and an explanation of the related assessment scale or criterion (mandatory for the main graduate degree, optional for the others), will be required for the enrolment in the University/Ph.D. program; All documents must be in English. Any translations must be certified
4. Publication list (if possible)
5. Recommendation letters (minimum 2, maximum 3)

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 can 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 in June.

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