PhD fellowship in Computational biology for food and health science

Department of Food Science invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in Computational biology for food and health. The project is part of the research project First principal models, neural networks and functional graphical models for Defining metabolic capacity as a Tool for Personalized nutrition (FOODTOP), which is financed by the Novonordisk foundation Data Science initiative.

Start date is (expected to be) January 1st 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project

Tailored dietary recommendation holds a promise for promoting health at the individual level beyond what is possible using population-wide recommendation. However, in order to provide detailed guidance, comprehensive information on personal lifestyle, genetics, microbiome etc. is needed. This phd project will leverage from the use of wearables for monitoring blood glucose levels, activity, as well as smart phone images of dietary exposure to characterize every-day life metabolism from 300+ individuals and investigate how such complex data can be handled, and how it can be integrated with multiple layers of data from the same individuals.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates within the field(s) of signal processing, computational biolgy, statistics or similar. Applicants can have a background in data science, mathematics, bioinformatics etc. and preferably have knowledge on signal processing via coupled differential equations as well as image processing and machine learning.

Our group and research - what do we offer?

The project will be carried out in a collaboration between Department of Food Science, Faculty of SCIENCE at university of Copenhagen, Copenhagen studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC), and DTU Compute. At department of Food Science, you will be a part of the gut microbiome group of 20+ scientists with state-of-the-art knowledge on the interplay between food and microbiome. COPSAC is a clinical research unit conducting mother-child cohort studies. In the COPSAC2000 cohort (n = 411) a comprehensive characterization of the metabolism has been conducted when the participants were 18 years of age. These data provide the basis for the development of analytical tools. The COPSAC team consists 30+ scientists from a range of disciplines spanning biologists, medical doctors, bioinformaticians, etc., and you will have daily access to these people. At DTU Compute you will be a part of the Scientific Computing section, with Associate Prof. Mirza Karamehmedović as co-supervisor of the phd project, and have access to experts within applied mathematics (including modeling using differential equations), uncertainty quantification, scientific computing, as well as to state-of-the-art high-performance computing facilities.

We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment.

Principal supervisor isAssociate Professor, Morten Arendt Rasmussen (PhD, Msc), Department of Food Science, [email protected] , +45 28 29 09 31

The PhD programme

Depending of your level of education, you can undertake the PhD programme as either:

Option A: A three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master’s degree.

Option B: An up to five year full-time study programme within the framework of the integrated MSc and PhD programme (the 3+5 scheme), if you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree – but you have an education equivalent to a Danish bachelors´s degree.

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Option A: Getting into a position on the regular PhD programme

Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. Scientific Computing, Signal Processing, Applied Mathematics, or Machine Learning. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database .

Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The terms of employment and salary are in accordance to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State (AC). The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Option B: Getting into a position on the integrated MSc and PhD programme

Qualifications needed for the integrated MSc and PhD programme

If you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree, you might be qualified for the integrated MSc and PhD programme, if you have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish bachelor´s degree. Here you can find out, if that is relevant for you: General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database .  

Terms of the integrated programme
To be eligible for the integrated scholarship, you are (or are eligible to be) enrolled at one of the faculty’s master programmes in Mathematical Modelling and Computation (DTU Compute).

Students on the integrated programme will enroll as PhD students simultaneously with completing their enrollment in this MSc degree programme.

The duration of the integrated programme is up to five years, and depends on the amount of credits that you have passed on your MSc programme. For further information about the study programme, please see: www.science.ku.dk/phd , “Study Structures”.

Until the MSc degree is obtained, (when exactly two years of the full 3+5 programme remains), the grant will be paid partly in the form of 48 state education grant portions (in Danish: “SU-klip”) plus salary for work (teaching, supervision etc.) totalling a workload of at least 150 working hours per year.
A PhD grant portion is DKK 6,243.

When you have obtainedtheMSc degree, you will transfer to the salary-earning part of the scholarship for a period of two years. At that point, the terms of employment and payment will be according to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State (AC). The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks in both PhD programmes

• Complete and pass the MSc education in accordance with the curriculum of the MSc programme

 (ONLY when you are attending the integrated MSc and PhD programme)

• Carry through an independent research project under supervision

• Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mindset with a strong interest in scientific computing and mathematical modeling
• Good language skills

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Application and Assessment Procedure

 Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include: 

Application deadline:

The deadline for applications is 10 November 2021 at 23:59 GMT +1.

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 deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment.

The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/ .

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in week 46/47 2021.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/ .

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.