BEMÆRK: Ansøgningsfristen er overskredet
Are you interested in joining a team committed to advancing our understanding of chronic inflammation, immune aging, and their impact on aging and disease?
The Department of Clinical Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, is looking for two dedicated and goal-oriented candidates to conduct two fully funded 3-year PhD Fellowships.
Our research
Systemic chronic inflammation drives aging and disease. Our goal is to establish clinically relevant biomarkers of systemic chronic inflammation and biological aging, to allow in-depth investigation of the underlying molecular mechanisms (with a specific focus on cellular senescence and immunosenescence, i.e., immune aging), clinical assessment of inflammation and extent of immunosenescence in patients, identification of therapeutic targets, and evaluation of interventions (both pharmacological and non-pharmacological) to reduce inflammation and its associated health risks. As part of this work, we seek to unravel the intricate connections between life history, inflammation, aging, and disease, with the ultimate goal of improving care for the growing population of older patients with chronic disease. Our research integrates theory and methods from immunology, cell biology, epidemiology, clinical research, and population-based studies.
Our work has been instrumental in redefining the blood test soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) as a biomarker of systemic chronic inflammation. Using suPAR in longitudinal studies, we have been able to show how systemic chronic inflammation is associated with stress throughout the lifespan (including exposure to abuse and violence in childhood), unhealthy lifestyle, and, in turn, with accelerated biological aging and risk of disease. Thus, across patient groups ranging from infectious diseases to age-related chronic diseases (e.g., CVD, diabetes, cancer, dementia), we have demonstrated how elevated blood suPAR levels are strongly associated with organ damage, chronic disease, readmission risk, and mortality across patient groups. Moreover, we showed that individuals with accelerated biological aging exhibit higher levels of systemic chronic inflammation and immune aging.
Relevant reading:
Rasmussen et al., J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci (2021): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32766674/
Tavenier et al., J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci (2021): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33428715/
Tavenier et al., Immun Ageing (2020): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33685482/
Rasmussen et al., Front Immunol (2021): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34925360/
The project
As part of our team, you will spearhead an independent translational research project related to the topics above, using clinical and register data and biological material (blood samples, cells) from patients and general populations to study risk factors, biomarkers, mechanisms, and outcomes of systemic chronic inflammation and biological aging.
We will develop your specific project together, with an interdisciplinary approach using molecular biological, immunological, and epidemiological methods.
The department
The Department of Clinical Research (DCR), Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, is a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary department with a general focus on biological aging, biomarkers, and multimorbidity (i.e., the co-occurrence of two or more chronic diseases). At the moment, there are 5 master students, 6 PhD students, and 8 postdocs in the department. The DCR conducts both basic, clinical, and translational research. As part of a large university hospital, our research is always close to the clinic, and we have access to facilities for patient inclusion and examination, analysis of human samples as well as collaborations with clinicians and clinical departments. The DCR is in charge of the hospital’s research laboratories and a statistical unit for biostatistical consultation.
What can we offer
- Competent supervision and support during the entire project with great experience in research and mentoring
- Access to large cohort studies (biobanks and databases), state-of-the-art lab facilities, statistical support, and other research support
- You will be able to get experience with every step of the clinical research process including designing and implementing clinical research protocols, obtaining regulatory approvals and research funding, enrolling participants and collecting data, conducting sample and data analysis, reporting and efficiently communicating results and research impacts broadly
- Daily collaboration with a focused and supportive team of researchers involved in inflammation, cellular senescence, and aging research
- Good collegial environment with focus on work-life balance
- You will be working closely with another PhD student, who is in the same level and career stage as yourself, creating an opportunity for close academic sparring with a peer
- Participation in national and international conferences with the possibility to present your own data and projects
- Possibilities to participate in other basic, clinical, and epidemiological research projects within the department
- Becoming part of an established network of international collaborators, with opportunities for conducting subprojects at collaborating labs at University of Copenhagen and research stays abroad. These include highly esteemed researchers at renowned research institutions, e.g., Duke University and the Mayo Clinic, USA
For each fellowship, we are looking for a dedicated student with an interest in biomarker epidemiology, inflammation, and aging research. The preferred candidates are highly motivated and ambitious students holding a Master´s degree in Biomedical Sciences (e.g., Human Biology, Molecular Biomedicine, Immunology, Medicine, or related areas), with the following qualifications:
- Scientific method
- Research experience with in vitro cell work and immunological assays, e.g., Flow Cytometry and ELISA
- Basic statistical knowledge (experience with coding in R, SAS, or other statistical software is an advantage but not a requirement)
- Writing experience and good communication skills, including full proficiency in English
- Dynamic, independent, curious, and goal-oriented
- Critical and creative thinking
- Good collaborative skills
- Attention to details and good organizational skills
We are looking for two candidates, each of whom will prepare and conduct a PhD project under guidance from an experienced supervisor team. This includes:
- Preparation of PhD project (3 months as Research Assistant):
- Writing research protocol for the project
- Supervised pilot research project
- Enrollment at University of Copenhagen, Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences
- Applications for register data, relevant permissions, and additional running costs
- PhD project (3 years):
- Carrying through an independent research project under supervision, including data collection/analyses and manuscript preparation/publication (~3 papers)
- Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points
- Participating in active research environments including a stay at another research team
- Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
- Contribution to supervision of BSc/MSc students
- Contributing to fundraising activities and collaborate with other research projects with the aim of strengthening the interdisciplinary impact of DCR research
- Writing and defending a PhD thesis based on your project
The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s successful enrollment as a PhD student at the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant [during an initial three-month employment as a research assistant].
Employment will be in accordance with the AC agreement.
Each position is a full-time position.
Application and hiring process
Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply Now’ / ‘Søg Job’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:
- Short motivated letter of application in English (max. 0.5-1 page) describing your background, research experience, and scientific interests
- CV (max. 2 pages) incl. education, relevant experience, language skills, and other skills relevant for the position
- Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records
- List of publications (if any)
Selected qualified applicants will then be invited for a second in-person interview at the DCR.
Timeline and contact information
Application deadline on February 15, and we plan to conduct in-person interviews in weeks 8 and 9.
Starting date as soon as possible, by agreement.
For further details and informal enquiries please contact Senior Researcher Line Jee Hartmann Rasmussen (Line.Jee.Hartmann.Rasmussen@regionh.dk) or Postdoc Juliette Tavenier (Juliette.Tavenier@regionh.dk).
INFORMATIONER OM STILLINGEN:
- Arbejdspladsen ligger i:
Hvidovre Kommune
-Virksomheden tilbyder:
-Arbejdsgiver:
Hvidovre Hospital, Kettegård alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre
-Ansøgning:
Ansøgningsfrist: 15-02-2024; - ansøgningsfristen er overskredet
Se mere her: https://job.jobnet.dk/CV/FindWork/Details/5980810
