Senior Researcher/ Postdoctoral Researcher in metabolomics

The University of Turku is a world-class multidisciplinary research university which offers interesting challenges and a unique vantage point to national and international research and education.

We are seeking for a postdoctoral or senior researcher to work in our multidisciplinary research group spanning both Chemistry and Bioscience. The main focus will of this position to utilise metabolomics  to understand the role of the endocannabinoid system in brain health and disease. The position will be located at the Department of Chemistry and Turku Bioscience, in Turku Centre for Chemical and Molecular Analytics group led by Dr Alex Dickens .

Key tasks and responsibilities
Ability to perform animal experiments to manipulate the endocannabinoid system in rodents. The candidate would need to be able to perform basic immunohistology and molecular biology tasks to support these experiments. The candidate would also be responsible for the integration of multi-omic (especially metabolomics) data arising from both these experiments and human studies

Documentation, reporting, preparation of publications

Essential qualifications

• A relevant PhD degree in computational systems biology, bioinformatics, metabolomics, or related field
• Knowledge of at least one of the following programming languages: R, Python, Matlab
• High level of motivation, self-initiative and independency
• License to work with laboratory animals
• Good knowledge of written and spoken English

The qualification requirements of the positions are written in the University of Turku rules of procedure .

Desirable qualifications

• Strong publication record and expertise in computational biology, animal modelling, and/or metabolomics
• Project reporting experience and/or experience in applying project funding.

Salary
Our selection criteria is based on the principle of finding the most qualified and suitable candidate for the work. In practice, this means that not only education, publications and working experience but also personal qualities, communication and motivation factors and other relevant criteria will be taken into account.

The salary is determined by the collective agreement system of Finnish universities and will depend on the degree and qualifications of the applicant.  Salaried positions in Finland automatically include payments to a pension fund, unemployment funds, an extensive occupational healthcare, affordable sports services and even a holiday allowance.

Salary offered is determined in accordance with the university salary system for teaching and research personnel. For a postdoctoral researcher/senior researcher, the salary is at levels 4-6 on the job demands chart, where the task-specific salary component is 2628,85- 3549,72 € per month. In addition, a personal work performance component will be paid. The personal performance component is max 50 % of the task-specific base salary. The salary will be determined based on the competence and research experience of a selected candidate at the beginning of an employment.

A six (6) month trial period applies to the positions.

Duration of contracts
The start of employments is negotiable, preferably in September 2022. The positions are fixed-term for 24 months, with a possibility for an eventual extension.

What to do next
Please submit your application by the online application system latest on 1.8.2022. Electronic link for the system is at the beginning of this job advertisement (Fill the form). Advertisement can be found online application system .

In addition, applications must have the following enclosures (in English):

1) motivation letter max 1 page focusing on your strengths related to our research topics
2) CV
3) copy of certificates of degree
4) contact details for at least three referees (name, working place, e-mail address)
5) a list of publications, highlighting the five most relevant ones

For further information, please contact Alex Dickens, alex.dickens(at)utu.fi

About us
The Department of Chemistry has recently moved into a brand new purpose built building which provides a collaborative hub for Chemistry in the Turku campus. The Turku Centre for Chemical and Molecular Analytics (CCMA) currently houses 5 modern NMR instruments and 4 mass spectrometers and provides analytical chemistry services to a broad user base.

Turku Bioscience Centre is an advanced core facility and research centre hosted jointly by University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University. We offer access to a comprehensive selection of cutting-edge research methods and an opportunity to be involved in internationally competitive science in a stimulating, highly networked environment. We are a truly international community, with more than half of the personnel having an international background.

Working in Finland
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