PhD fellowship at the Center for Chromosome Stability & Clinical Academic Group for Regenerative Medicine for Urogenital Surgery

Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

University of Copenhagen

We are offering a PhD fellowship at the Center for Chromosome Stability (www.ccs.ku.dk ) and Clinical Academic Group for Regenerative Medicine for Urogenital Surgery (https://gchsp.dk/cag/regenerative-medicine-for-urogenital-surgery-and-fertility/ ) in a group headed by Prof. Eva R Hoffmann. The post is available from January 1st, 2022. Highly motivated and committed candidates with experience and interest in germ cells, ovarian or spermatogonial stem cells and organoids as well as single-cell genomics are invited to apply.

The post is fully funded, although the post-holder will be encouraged to seek a personal fellowship to support their PhD stipend.

Our group and research
The CCS is a Center of Excellence funded by the Danish National Research Foundation, and has as its mission to understand how chromosomal instability causes human disease. The CCS is embedded at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark (https://icmm.ku.dk/english/ ).

The Clinical Academic Group (CAG) for Regenerative Medicine for Urogenital Surgery and Fertility was established to improve treatment for paediatric and adult patients with diseases of the urogenital organs. Developing new surgical strategies and clinical methodologies will enhance tissue healing and regeneration in order to restore or replace damaged or diseased reproductive cells, tissues, or organs.  This CAG facilitates interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations for the application of therapeutic stem cell technologies, tissue reconstruction, and the production of artificial organs via tandem emphases on innovative technologies and advancement of knowledge at the cellular level (www.gchsp.dk/en/cag/regenerative-medicine-for-urogenital-surgery-and-fertility ).

Project description

The objective of the project is focused on developing in vitro gametogenesis for mouse and human to be used to study fundamental molecular genomic processes and their influence on reproductive functions. This project will involve in vitro growth and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells, ovarian organoids, and genomic characterization, including genome sequencing. The research will benefit from access to cutting-edge clinical material from the CAG-SURF participants and training in interdisciplinary research, including preclinical studies. The project will be overseen by Prof. Eva R Hoffmann and a committee from the CCS and CAG-SURF building on the experimental strategies developed in reproductive genomics.

Principal supervisor is Group Leader Professor Eva R Hoffmann, Center for Chromosome Stability. Hoffmann Group – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)

Start:                  1 January 2022

Duration:          3 years as a PhD student

Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD student at SUND are:

• Carrying through an independent research project under supervision.
• Establish and maintain primary cultures of spermatogonial stem cells
• Carry out in vitro gametogenesis differentiation protocols
• Manage in vitro oocyte maturation and fertilization pipelines
• Edit genes of interest via CRISPR/Cas9 system
• Assess genome stability via karyotyping (G-banding)
• Conduct DNA and RNA sequencing and analyses on mammalian cells and tissues
• Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points.
• Participate in active research environments, including CAG-SURF activities, international and national conferences and a research stay in a different lab related to your PhD project
• Participation in research-based teaching in undergraduate Medical Genetics as well as Outreach activities in the CCS
• Compliance and regular reporting on the project for CAG-SURF
• Participation in supervision of BSc, MSc and lab technicians, where relevant for the PhD project
• Undergraduate teaching and disseminating of your knowledge
• Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project

Profile

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic person with the following competences and experience:

• Must hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) with a specialization in molecular, reproductive, or cell biology.
• Must show evidence of publication-standard research, preferable within the areas of spermatogonial stem cells, in vitro gametogenesis, embryonic stem cells, embryology, whole genome-sequencing, and RNA-sequencing.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, including the ability to work well in an international academic setting.
• Ability to work in a team of multidisciplinary clinicians and scientists, and the potential to work independently with limited direction.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

Key criteria for the assessment of candidates

Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project in subject areas such as molecular biology, cell biology, or reproductive biology.

Other important criteria are:

• Professional qualifications or experience relevant to the PhD project
• Previous publications
• Relevant work experience, e.g. in spermatogonial stem cells, embryology, and/or in vitro gametogenesis. Experience with primates or human germ cells is an advantage.
• Other professional activities such as establishing standardized operating procedures or laboratory standards certification.
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in chromosome biology and germ cells.
• Personal drive and commitment to science
• Excellent English language skills

Place of employment

The place of employment is at Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories.

Terms of employment
The employment as PhD fellow is full time and for 3 years.

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 in consultation with the supervisors.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.

Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agree­ment between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 27,800 DKK/Roughly 3,700 EUR (October 2021 level) plus pension.

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 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. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science

4. Publication list (if possible)

Application deadline:  Sunday 7 October 2021, 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 has the opportunity to 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 fist in December 2021

The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences comprises approximately 7500 students, 1500 PhD students and 3200 employees. The Faculty advances the field of health sciences through its core activities: research, teaching, knowledge sharing and communication. With basic research fields ranging from molecular studies to studies of society, the Faculty contributes to a healthy future through its graduates, research findings and inventions benefitting patients and the community. The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position. 

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.