Researcher in human pregnancy

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract scientists and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

The Institute of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, is seeking a researcher for perinatal medical research at the Perinatal laboratory. The Perinatal laboratory is a research laboratory with extensive research activity of a high international level. The main language is English and Swedish, the working environment is stimulating and developing with high productivity and the research group is inter professional.

Our research group is located at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Oslo). We investigate genetic and environmental factors affecting human gestational age at birth. We work with unique genomic data containing thousands of family trios from Norway, coupled with a rich collection of pregnancy-related medical variables and an extensive set of validated environmental exposures, and a large medical birth register with more than 4 million pregnancies from Sweden. The Perinatal laboratory and research group is led by Professor Bo Jacobsson. In our organization, there are great opportunities for personal development and we welcome applicants with high ambitions. For the right applicant there are good development opportunities within the university and that the research project may be extended after 11 months.

Identify and assess risk factors affecting gestational age in humans. The projects include investigation of large genomic datasets (bead-chip microarray genotyping) and pregnancy-related phenotypes, medical registers and food-frequency questionnaires. The applicant will formulate and test hypotheses as well as use hypothesis-free scans and generating new hypotheses. The tasks include writing scientific reports and project proposals, acquiring ethical approvals, as well as authoring and co-authoring research manuscripts, including the submission to the journal process. The project involves the use of some of the following methodologies:

1. Genome-wide association studies and their meta-analyses
2. Detection of parent-of-origin effects (POE) using family trio data and GWAS
3. Inferring POE from phenotypic variance in heterozygous and homozygous groups
4. Causal inference using Mendelian randomisation and genome phasing
5. Inferring rare structural variants using family trio data
6. Deletion detection using intensity-based methods in SNP arrays
7. Gene-environment interaction scans
8. Candidate-gene analysis using human-accelerated regions
9. Heritability analyses using pedigree information from large register

Travelling must be expected

The applicant must have a PhD degree in a field equivalent or similar to molecular biology, statistical biology, biomedicine, epidemiology, genetics, statistics, mathematical, computer or biomedical sciences. An advanced level of coding in the statistical language R as well as experience in UNIX environment is required. Other qualifications are excellent oral and, more importantly, written English language skills, proven ability to write coherent scientific text with at least one published or submitted manuscript where the applicant is the first author and wrote a major part of the text.

It is expected that the applicant is able to work both independently and in a group, since the position requires collaborations with colleagues and other research groups. Experience in supervision and teaching is a merit. Further, the applicant should have a good understanding of the following topics, and provide evidence corroborating her/his knowledge (e.g., recommendation letter with relevant statements, published work, doctoral thesis, official course certificates or equivalent academic documents). These meritorious qualifications as well as an ongoing or finished PhD degree will be used for candidate ranking.

- Statistics (linear regression models, mixed-effect models for longitudinal data analyses, survival models, interactions)
- Physiology and biology of pregnancy (gestation, preterm birth, fetal growth, preeclampsia, inflammation, infection, nutrition)
- Biochemistry
- Genetics (genomics, bead-chip microarrays, GWAS, GxE)
- Data science (large-scale dataset manipulations)
- Advantages: experience in survival analysis, gradient boosting, neural networks, Git/GitHub, LaTeX

Following the qualitative overall assessment of competence and proficiency, applicants will be selected which are deemed to have the best conditions for implementing and developing current tasks and contributing to a positive development of the
research group. 

The employment is limited (temporary) for 11 months, 100 % of full-time and is placed at The Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Obstetrics and Gynecology. The research project may be extended after 11 months. Starting date; As soon as possible 

We offer following:

- Access to large world-unique genomic and register-based datasets
- Possibility to independently generate and explore new scientific questions within the frame of the research field of gestational age genetics
- Opportunities to visit and present your methods or findings at international conferences
- Opportunities to visit research groups in USA, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain and the Netherlands
- Opportunities to co-author high-impact journal publications
- Supportive and friendly team
- Ethical and respectful work environment 

If you have questions regarding the position please contact Professor Bo Jacobsson via department manager Ylva Folkesson Phone: + (0)31-3436745, e-mail: [email protected] 

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande   

To apply for a position at the University of Gothenburg, you have to create an account in our recruitment system. Submit your application via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal by clicking the “Apply” button. It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per the vacancy notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline. 

Applications must be received by: 2023-03-31

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.