PhD fellowship in Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor signal transduction at the Department of Biomedical Sciences

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

University of Copenhagen

We are offering a PhD fellowship in adhesion GPCR signal transduction commencing February 1st 2023 or as soon as possible.

Our group and research

You will join the Mathiasen Group at the Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology (Molpharm) in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. The Mathiasen group is one of multiple groups at Molpharm studying G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The Laboratory offers a dynamic and social work environment, where students at all levels (BSc, MSc, and PhD), postdocs, technicians and scientists from various cultures work together on a variety of interdisciplinary projects, and you will engage and collaborate with several colleagues in the lab.

In the Mathiasen group we focus on investigating the signaling properties and unexplored biology of Adhesion GPCRs and the implications of this receptor family in human health and disease.

Project description

The project aims to characterize and understand the cellular signaling properties of the adhesion GPCR ADGRL3. ADGRL3 has been implicated in ADHD and other psychiatric disorders that involve dopamine dysfunction, such as schizophrenia. ADGRL3 is expressed in the brain, and is composed of a giant protein structure that both binds ligands across the synapse and controls intracellular signaling. Yet many of ADGRL3 basic functions remain unexplored, and understanding the cellular actions of ADGRL3 is a critical milestone towards future drugdevelopment efforts.

The successful candidate will primarily use plate-based GPCR signaling assays (see also Mathiasen et alNature Chemical Biology 2020) in combination with advanced fluorescence microscopy techniques to study ADGRL3. The project will also involve general molecular biology techniques and data analysis of both plate-based and microscopy-based results.

Principal supervisor isAssistant Professor,Signe Mathiasen, Department of Biomedical Sciences, [email protected] ,  Direct Phone: 61658536.

Start:                  The position is open from February 1st 2023 or as soon as possible

Duration:          3 years as a PhD student

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

• Carry out an independent research project under supervision.

• Complete PhD courses or other equivalent education (approx. 30 ECTS points.)
• Participate in active research environments including a stay at another research team
• Obtain experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
• Teach and disseminate your knowledge
• Write a PhD thesis based on your project

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project, e.g. Biophysics, Nanoscience, Biochemistry, Biology, Pharmaceutical Science, Molecular Pharmacology, or human biology. Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (BSc 3 years + MSc 2 years).

Other important criteria are:

• The grade point average achieved
• Previous publications
• English communication skills (both oral and written)
• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project  
• Work experience relevant to the PhD project:

Experience with mammalian cell culture

Experience with standard molecular biology techniques

Experience with receptor signaling and pharmacology is an advantage

Experience with fluorescence microscopy is an advantage

• A curious mind-set with a strong interest in the molecular scale basis for GPCR function

Place of employment

The place of employment is at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and state-of-the-art equipment.

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The start date is February 1th 2023 or after agreement.

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.

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 Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 28,400 DKK/Roughly 3,800 EUR (October 2022 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:  November 13th 2022, 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 from week 50 in December or as soon as possible.

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background. 

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.