Postdoctoral researcher, Protein and Structural Biology research unit

The University of Oulu is one of the largest universities in Finland, with approximately 15 000 students and 3 000 employees. We, at the University of Oulu, work as part of the international science community to produce new scientific information and science-based solutions. Our university's several specialized research and service units enable extensive and diverse development and career opportunities for experts in various fields. The University of Oulu Graduate School (UniOGS) provides the framework and conditions for high-quality, research-driven doctoral education at the University of Oulu, and field-specific doctoral training is provided by its multidisciplinary doctoral programs. For more information: http://www.oulu.fi/uniogs/

We are now looking for  

Postdoctoral Researcher

for a fixed-term, full-time position in research team led by Professor Lari Lehtiö  in the Protein and Structural Biology research unit. The position is for two-years.

Protein and structural biology is one of the three research focus areas of theFaculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. The Faculty provides a dynamic research surrounding and cutting-edge research infrastructure services to academics and other users in Finland and abroad. It has about 190 employees (including doctoral researchers) of which about half are from outside of Finland.

The host research team also belongs to Biocenter Oulu , which offers a high-level international multidisciplinary environment supplied with cutting-edge infrastructures. Under this framework, the Health and Biosciences Doctoral Program (HBS-DP) offers doctoral training in clinical medicine, biomedicine, biochemistry, molecular medicine, dentistry, health sciences, and medical technology.

Our team focuses on structure, function and selective inhibition of ADP-ribosyltransferases, also known as PARPs. These proteins are involved in signaling through ADP-ribosylation – a post-translational modification affecting protein stability, function, and interactions in multiple cellular pathways. Our goals are to discover and develop inhibitors targeting ADP-ribosyltransferases as well as ADP-ribosylhydrolases to be used as tools to study ADP-ribosylation events and also as potential anti-cancer and anti-viral drugs. We also study how the multidomain PARPs function by addressing several key questions in their oligomerization, protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions.

About the position

The successful candidate will work on understanding PARP regulation through integrative structural biology approaches and is expected to have experience in structural biology as well as in molecular biophysics. The candidate is also expected to participate in synergistic projects of the team that also aim at inhibitor discovery. The work involves co-supervision of MSc students and doctoral researchers and also some teaching.

You can find more information from these websites: https://www.oulu.fi/en/research-groups/structural-and-chemical-biology-adp-ribosylation and Twitter: https://twitter.com/lablehtio

Requirements

You must hold a PhD degree preferably in biochemistry or a closely related field. Degree must have been completed by at least by end of 2022, or strong evidence must be provided that it is completed at the beginning of 2023.

What we offer 

• The university’s wide variety of support services (including facilities) are at your disposal, allowing you to focus on your research. 
• You will also enjoy personnel benefits such as support for sport services and opportunities to develop your skills and competences. 
• Regular salary is paid 12 months per year, including paid leave and an additional holiday bonus in the summer. 
• The employed person will be insured by the university and provided occupational healthcare.
• The Finnish government provides benefits to residents and their families, for example possibility to the national healthcare system and high-quality affordable childcare and school services 

Salary

The salary of the selected postdoctoral researcher will be initially set on levels 5-6 of the national salary scale for teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. In addition, a supplementary remuneration is given for personal achievement and performance (max. 50 %). In practice, the salary is roughly 3,600 – 4,100 € (before taxes) per month depending on the appointee’s qualifications and progress of the doctoral thesis.

The position is filled for a maximum of two-year period. The employment begins of January 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter. A six-month trial period is applied in the position.

Application

Applications must be submitted using the electronic application form by November 30th, 2022 (23:59 Finnish local time, EET), with the following attachments as three separate pdf files:

1      Complete CV containing contact information of at least two referees (Max. size limit of the attachment: 5 Mbytes) according to the guidelines of Finnish National Board on Integrity:
https://tenk.fi/en/advice-and-materials/template-researchers-curriculum-vitae

2      Motivation letter describing prior knowledge and research interests and career plans (1 – 2 pages; max. size limit of the attachment: 2 Mbytes)

3      Certificates/Diplomas: Scanned electronic copies of diplomas and transcripts of the records of relevant previous degrees. If the original documents are not in English, Finnish, or Swedish, each document must be accompanied by an official certified translation into English or Finnish. (Max. size limit of the attachment: 2 Mbytes)

Other relevant information
The eligible applicants fitting best in the research profile expected for the positions may be invited to an on-site or remote interview. All applicants will be notified when a decision is made concerning their application or the selection process is completed. Applications received by email will not be taken into consideration.

For further information:
Professor Lari Lehtiö, e-mail: lari.lehtio (at) oulu.fi