Postdoctoral Fellow – Advanced 3D Tissue Models, Exosomes and Secretomics

Position Details and Project Description

Biomaterial Science (BIOMAT) / Institute of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to develop and apply advanced 3D in vitro models for studies of oral biology, disease mechanisms, tissue regeneration and biomaterial–cell interactions.

The project will involve the development, characterization and application of physiologically relevant models, including spheroids, organoids and tissue-engineered constructs, with opportunities to work with microfluidic/organ-on-a-chip systems and bioprinted models.

A central component of the project will be the investigation of cellular communication through secretomics analyses, including extracellular vesicles/exosomes. Advanced cell culture, molecular biology and imaging approaches will be combined to study cellular responses and mechanisms relevant to oral disease and regenerative medicine.

The overall aim is to establish robust and translationally relevant 3D experimental models that can contribute to a better understanding of oral diseases and support the development of improved therapeutic and regenerative strategies.

More about the position 

The Postdoctoral Fellow will join the Biomaterial Science (BIOMAT) department researchers and develop advanced 3D in vitro models for studies of oral biology, disease mechanisms, tissue regeneration and biomaterial-cell interactions. The position offers opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, methodological development, scientific publishing, and grant preparation. The Postdoctoral Fellow will be supported in developing an independent research profile and competencies relevant to future academic and research careers.

A career development plan will be established and followed up during the appointment. If needed, The University of Oslo will facilitate the acquisition of educational competence required for an Associate Professor position. 

The appointment is for 3 years.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Develop, optimize and validate advanced 3D cell culture models, including spheroids, organoids and tissue-engineered constructs. 
• Establish and apply rotational 3D culture systems such as CelVivo or comparable platforms. 
• Design and perform experiments investigating cell–cell and biomaterial–cell interactions. 
• Perform secretome and extracellular vesicle/exosome analyses. 
• Optimize and apply high-multiplex protein assays for cytokine and biomarker profiling in biological samples and cell-culture supernatants. 
• Perform microscopy and cellular and molecular characterization, including advanced imaging where appropriate. 
• Integrate and interpret imaging, molecular and omics-derived datasets. 
• Contribute to the analysis of clinical samples and biopsies where relevant. 
• Participate in scientific writing, dissemination and preparation of publications and research proposals. 
• Contribute actively to the collaborative research environment of BIOMAT and associated research groups.

What skills are important in this role?

Mandatory requirements

• PhD in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Biomedical Sciences, Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine, Biomaterials, or a closely related field. 
• Documented experience with mammalian cell culture and 3D in vitro models; position the Celvivo system or similar rotational system.
• Experience with secretome/secretomics, extracellular vesicles/exosomes, proteomics, or related molecular approaches. 
• Documented experience in optimizing, validating, and executing high-multiplex protein panels for cytokine and biomarker quantification across various biological matrices (e.g., serum, plasma, cell culture supernatants) 
• Experience with microscopy and cellular or molecular characterization. 
• Good oral and written communication skills in English. 

Desirable qualifications

• Experience with spheroids, organoids or tissue-engineered models. 
• Experience with web-based software application to analyze, integrate, and interpret complex "omics" data 
• Experience in handling and analysis of clinical samples/biopsies 
• Experience with extracellular vesicle/exosome characterization. 
• Familiarity with proteomics or other omics approaches. 
• Experience with confocal or advanced 3D imaging. 
• Experience with biomaterials, oral biology or regenerative medicine. 
• Familiarity with microfluidics, organ-on-a-chip systems or bioprinting. 

What are we looking for in you?

• We are looking for a motivated and independent researcher with strong experimental skills and an interest in interdisciplinary research.
• The successful candidate should have good analytical and problem-solving abilities, work in a structured and reproducible manner, and have strong communication and collaboration skills. The candidate is expected to contribute actively to scientific publications, development of new research methods and the broader research environment.

Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications.

We need different perspectives in our work 

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one?

We will provide appropriate accommodations should you need them. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps, we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

We hope you will apply for the position with us. 

We offer 

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• Committed colleagues in a good working environment. 
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities. 
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Postdoctoral Fellow, position code 1352 in salary range NOK from 595 000 - to 690 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.
• For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

Application

Your application should include:

• Application letter
• CV
• A complete list of publications
• Project description
• Transcripts and certificates
• Contact information for 2-3 references

Your CV must be entered in Jobbnorge’s CV form and cannot be submitted only as an attachment. This requirement is intended to ensure correct documentation and record-keeping in accordance with the Public Administration Act, Section 15.

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for this job".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

Please note that we are unable to add documentation after the application deadline. As the deadline applies equally to all applicants, this policy ensures equal treatment throughout the recruitment process. If you experience difficulties uploading documents in Jobbnorge, please contact their customer service: Phone: +47 75 54 22 20 or Email: support@grade.com 

The primary method of communication throughout the process will be e-mails and messages through the recruitment system Jobbnorge. When you receive a notification of a message in Jobbnorge, please log in to read it, as it may be important.
 

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us.

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews. 

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3(Norwegian),  Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees to secure the rights to all research results and related intellectual property.

Please see the regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for the posts of postdoctoral research fellow, research fellow, research assistant and resident - University of Oslo (uio.no) (https://www.uio.no/english/about/regulations/personnel/academic/regulations-employment-conditions-postdoc.html)

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control(legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to being conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.