Disease Biomarkers
Job descriptionThe University of Stavanger invites applicants for a PhD Fellowship in Intestinal Microbiome Analysis and Parasites as Health and Disease Biomarkers at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Engineering. The position is vacant from 1st of September 2023.
This is a trainee position that will give promising researchers an opportunity for academic development through a PhD education leading to a doctoral degree.
The hired candidate will be admitted to the PhD program in Science and Technology. The education includes relevant courses amounting to about six months of study, a dissertation based on independent research, participation in national and international research environments, relevant academic communication, a trial lecture and public defence. Read more about the PhD education at UiS on our website.
The appointment is for three years with research duties exclusively.
The position will be affiliated with the following project: The role of Blastocystis in inflammatory bowel disease, funded by The Research Council of Norway.
This is a large interdisciplinary project with collaborators at the Stavanger University Hospital, the Staten Serum Institute (SSI) in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Institute of Parasitology in České Budějovice, Czech Republic. See here for more details.
The PhD student will be part of a team including one Postdoctoral Fellow,a total of four PhD students and a study nurse.
The project will be carried out mainly at the Staten Serum Institute in Copenhagen in the Laboratory of Parasitology under the supervision of Dr Christen Rune Stensvold, and co-supervised by Dr Thomas Dantoft (DanFunD cohort; see below) and Prof Allan Linneberg (Department of Public Health, Section for Epidemiology, University of Copenhagen) as part as the ongoing collaboration with Professor Mark van der Giezen at the University of Stavanger.
About the projectIn the clinic, non-fungal microbial eukaryotes are usually treated as parasites. However, recent data suggest a possible beneficial and/or commensal role for intestinal eukaryotes such as Blastocystis. Given the widespread distribution of Blastocystis in the general population and our preliminary data, we hypothesise that this intestinal microbe plays a beneficial role in human intestinal health and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in particular.
Our hypothesis is that the common microbial eukaryote Blastocystis is part of the healthy gut microbiome. We will test our subhypothesis using the 7,500-subject baseline cohort of the large Danish epidemiological study of Functional Disorders (DanFunD), for which 2,500 faecal samples are available. This cohort includes healthy individuals as well as individuals with functional and organic diseases and thus serves as an ideal background population. Participants completed questionnaires on health-related quality of life, physical activity, and general health and lifestyle information and submitted stool samples for analysis. Participants had completed a general health examination, and we have data on standard blood biochemistry measures; i.e., cholesterol, lipids, fasting glucose, insulin, etc. This study has the potential to provide robust data on the distribution of Blastocystis in the general population.
Aim: What characterises Blastocystis carriers and who has Blastocystis?
You will:
We are looking for applicants with a strong academic background who have completed a five-year master degree (3+2) within bioinformatics, epidemiology/public health, or another relevant field, preferably acquired recently; or who possess corresponding qualifications that could provide a basis for successfully completing a doctorate.
To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Stavanger both the grade for your master's thesis and the weighted average grade of your master's degree must individually be equivalent to or better than a B grade. If you finish your education (masters degree) in the spring of 2023 you are also welcome to apply.
Applicants with an education from an institution with a different grade scale than A-F, and/or with other types of credits than sp/ECTS, must attach a confirmed conversion scale that shows how the grades can be compared with the Norwegian A-F scale and a Diploma Supplement or similar that explains the scope of the subjects that are included in the education. You can use these conversion scales to calculate your points for admission.
You must also:
Emphasis is also placed on your:
A good proficiency in English is required for anyone attending the PhD program. International applicants must document this with a valid test certificate from one of the following tests:
The following applicants are exempt from the above requirements:
University of Stavanger values independence, involvement and innovation. Diversity is respected and considered a resource in our work and learning environment. Universal design characterises physical and digital learning environments, and we strive to provide reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities.
You are encouraged to apply regardless of gender, disability or cultural background.
The university aims to recruit more women within the subject area. If several applicants are considered to have equal qualifications, female applicants will be given priority.
Contact informationMore information on the position can be obtained from Professor Mark van der Giezen, tel.: +47 5183 4493, e-mail: [email protected] or Dr Rune Stensvold, tel.: +45 3268 8224, e-mail: [email protected].
Information about the appointment procedure can be obtained from HR advisor Rosa Andrade, tel: +47 5183 1191, e-mail: [email protected].
ApplicationTo apply for this position please follow the link "Apply for this job". Your application letter, relevant education and work experience as well as language skills must be registered here.
The following documents must be uploaded as attachments to your application:
Applications are evaluated based on the information available in Jobbnorge at the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above and that you have attached the necessary documentation.
The documentation must be available in either a Scandinavian language or in English. If the total size of the attachments exceeds 30 MB, they must be compressed before upload.
Please note that information on applicants may be published even if the applicant has requested not to be included in the official list of applicants - see Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act. If your request is not granted, you will be notified.
UiS only considers applications and attachments registered in Jobbnorge.
General informationThe engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. If your application is considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter legislation, it will be rejected without further assessment.
Employment as PhD Fellow is regulated in "Regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for the posts of post-doctoral research fellow and research fellow, research assistant and resident".
Your qualifications for the position, based on documentation registered in Jobbnorge, will be assessed by an internal expert committee. Based on the committee's statement, relevant applicants will be invited to an interview before any recommendations are made. References will also be obtained for relevant candidates. More about the hiring process on our website.
The appointee will be based at the University of Stavanger, with the exception of a stay abroad at a relevant centre of research.
It is a prerequisite that you have a residence which enables you to be present at/available to the academic community during ordinary working hours.
The position has been announced in both Norwegian and English. In the case of differences of meaning between the texts, the English text takes precedence.
UiS - challenge the well-known and explore the unknownThe University of Stavanger (UiS) has about 12 000 students and 2 000 employees. The university has high ambitions. We strive to have an innovative and international profile, and be a driving force in knowledge development and in the process of societal change. Our common direction is driven by consideration for green and sustainable change and equitable social development, through new ways of managing natural resources and facilitating better cities and local communities. Energy, health and welfare, learning for life are our focus areas.
In constant collaboration and dialogue with our surroundings, regionally, nationally and internationally, we enjoy an open and creative climate for education, research, innovation, dissemination and museum activities. Academic life at the University of Stavanger is organised into six faculties comprising various departments/schools and National Research Centres, as well as the Museum of Archaeology. We are a member of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities. The university is located in the most attractive region in the country with more than 300,000 inhabitants. The Stavanger region has a dynamic labour market and exciting cultural and leisure activities.
Together with our staff and students we will challenge the well-known and explore the unknown.
The Faculty of Science and Technology offers study programs at bachelor, master and doctoral level. The faculty has established close cooperation on research with NORCE (Norwegian Research Centre AS) and the regional industry. A number of master's and doctoral theses are made in collaboration with the industry. The faculty has established research collaborations with universities in the US and Europe, and has developed several academic environments that are at the forefront internationally.The faculty has about 2,800 students and approximately 500 employees at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Structural Engineering and Materials Science, Department of Mathematics and Physics, Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, Department of Energy Resources and the Department of Safety, Economics and Planning.
The Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Technology offers study programs at all levels within the areas Biological Chemistry, Chemistry and Environment. The department is responsible for basic tuition in chemistry at the faculty. There are currently about 60 employees including doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, and 230 students at the department.
Deadline30th June 2023
EmployerUniversity of Stavanger
MunicipalityStavanger
ScopeFulltime (1 positions) Fulltime (%)
DurationFixed Term
Place of serviceUllandhaug