Doctoral Researcher in Biological Microfluidics

The Faculty of Pharmacy is located at Viikki Campus in Helsinki and provides good access to local and national research infrastructures including biobanks. It has about 200 employees, out of which 15 professors, and about 800 undergraduate and 160 postgraduate students with well-organized doctoral school programs.

The University of Helsinki is an international scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. It is one of the leading multidisciplinary research universities in Europe and ranks among the top 100 international universities in the world.

The Faculty of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, invites applications for the position of a

DOCTORAL RESEARCHER

We are looking for a graduate student with background education in molecular/cell biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, pharmacy, or other closely related discipline.

The appointment is in an Academy of Finland funded research project, for ca. 1.5 years, starting in fall 2022 (exact date negotiable). The position will be filled with a probationary period. The doctoral studies at the University of Helsinki typically take ca. 4 years. The extension of the work contract may be arranged with further research funding applied by the principal investigator, or the candidate may apply for personal doctoral research grants from the relevant doctoral programs of the University of Helsinki.

The appointment is at the Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology. The research work comprises of experimental work in a bioanalytical laboratory setting, focusing on development of microfluidic in vitro models for the purposes of drug discovery and development, with special emphasis on drug metabolism and cardiotoxicity and the impact of oxygen on the measured in vitro endpoints. The in vitro models include both cell-based assays (heart-on-a-chips) and subcellular (microsomal) assays for human liver. The work also includes the development of necessary bioanalytical methods for drug/cell metabolites.

Requirements for a successful candidate

We are looking for an applicant with

• MSc degree in molecular/cell biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, pharmacy, or other closely related discipline
• excellent written and verbal communication skills (in English)
• strong problem-solving skills, keen interest in new technologies, and unprejudiced approach
• ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research team

Previous experience in any of the following fields is considered a significant merit, but not compulsory: microfluidics, (mammalian) cell culturing techniques, optical spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, metabolomics, proteomics, or bioinformatics.

The duties of the Doctoral Researcher include conducting research in the project framework with the aim of achieving doctoral degree in accordance with the degree requirements of the University of Helsinki. The appointee will also participate in maintenance of the laboratory safety and quality practices and supervision of undergraduate students and other discipline-specific teaching in pharmaceutical chemistry. The teaching duties will cover ca. 5 % of the total working hours.

Salary and benefits

The salary is based on the salary system of Finnish universities. The starting gross salary of a Doctoral Researcher is typically about 2 300 – 2 400 € per month, and raises gradually as the PhD work progresses (i.e., after initiation of publishing and after reaching the midpoint of the experimental work required for the doctoral degree, judged by the supervisor who estimates the proximity of the public defense).

The University of Helsinki invests in the welfare of its employees by offering preventative occupational health services and general medical care. Read more about the employee benefits at the University of Helsinki and why the University of Helsinki is an excellent career choice: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers and https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/welcome .

Interested in the position?

Please submit your application and the required attachments through the University of Helsinki Recruitment System preferably as a single pdf file.

The application should include

• a motivation letter, including brief overview of past research and other experience supporting successful implementation of the research project and completion of the PhD degree (max 1 page)
• a complete CV with full contact details, education/previous degrees obtained, prior work/research experience, and list of possible publications and theses with links to their online versions (if available)
• copy/copies of the diploma(s) of previous degree(s)
• recommendation letter(s) and contact information of one or more previous supervisors, employers, or other references

The closing date for applications is 7 August 2022 (23:59 EEST).

Right to pursue a doctoral degree

The appointee must obtain the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki and approval by a suitable doctoral programme by the end of the 6 month probationary period of the employment, if not already having the study right. Alternatively, the Doctoral Researcher may be hired as a Research Assistant until admission to a doctoral programme (if it does not seem possible to obtain the study right to doctoral degree within 6 months because of application periods); in this case, the salary will be similar to a Doctoral Researcher position. Suitable doctoral programmes include Drug Research (DPDR), Materials Research and Nanosciences (MATRENA), and Chemistry and Molecular Sciences (CHEMS). The research plan and other application material will be prepared together with the PhD supervisor(s) in the beginning of the employment period.

Further information

Related to doctoral education