PhD Research Fellow in Computational Medicinal Chemistry for Addiction Research 

About the position

We invite applications for a PhD Research Fellow position in Computational Structural Biology is available at the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, within the interdisciplinary research project DECODING ADDICTION – Unraveling Individual Variability to guide Prevention, part of the UiO Life Science Convergence Environment.

Starting date no later than October 1, 2026. 

The fellowship period is four years including 25 percent of other career-promoting work. This may consist of teaching and/or project-related tasks, such as contributing to the organization of consortium seminars, maintaining websites, laboratory assistance, or other activities that support the project.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo. 

Place of work is at the Department of Pharmacy in the new Life Science Building, Oslo.

Job description

Addiction is a growing global crisis, and understanding individual vulnerability is critical for prevention and treatment. The DECODING ADDICTION project investigates the role of the mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1/μOR) in addiction susceptibility by studying a naturally occurring mutation (R181C) discovered in the Norwegian popu-lation. This mutation abolishes opioid receptor signaling and offers unprecedented insights into how μ-opioid signaling shapes addiction risk. This PhD project (Work Package 4) aims to use advanced computational methods to elucidate the structural and functional consequences of the R181C mutation in the μ-opioid receptor.

The PhD candidate will:
•    generate high-resolution models of wild-type and R181C mutant μ-opioid receptor based on existing crystallographic data and perform molecular docking for ligand optimization
•    perform extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (AMBER, NAMD, GROMACS) in fully hydrated lipid bilayer systems to replicate physiological conditions and assess receptor conformational changes
•    conduct structural analyses including RMSD, RMSF evaluations, and hydrogen bond assessments to identify key interactions disrupted by the R181C mutation
•    perform free energy calculations using Free Energy Perturbation/Thermodynamic Integration (FEP/TI) to quantify binding affinity changes and receptor-Gi protein coupling alterations
•    investigate potential disulfide bond formation between R181C and C353 of Gi protein and collaborate closely with experimental partners in WP1-3 to interpret findings in the context of human behavioral data, mouse models, and cell biology results

The project offers a highly interdisciplinary research environment spanning computational chemistry, neuroscience, molecular biology, and psychology. The work will leverage GPU computing on the LUMI supercomputer, one of Europe’s fastest, to perform state-of-the-art molecular simulations. 

The position includes secondments to industry partners for complementary training in biophysical analyses (X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy) and medicinal chemistry techniques. Primary supervisor is Assoc. Prof. Osman Gani, with co-supervisors Prof. Trond Vidar Hansen (organic chemistry, Dept. of Pharmacy) and Dr. Deo Pandey (molecular biology, Oslo University Hospital/Dept. of Microbiology).

What skills are important in this role?

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

Required qualifications:

• Master’s degree  in pharmacy, computational chemistry, medicinal chemistry, bioinformatics, or a closely related field.
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Strong background in molecular modeling, molecular dynamics simulations, or computer-aided drug design. Proven record of programming language through publicly available Github/Gitlab or similar repositories.
• Experience in the cell biology lab
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
   

Candidates without a master’s degree have until June 30, 2026 to complete the final exam.

Desired qualifications:

• Experience with molecular docking tools (such as Glide, AutoDOCK)
• Experience with molecular dynamics simulation packages (AMBER, NAMD, GROMACS)
• Familiarity with high-performance computing or GPU-accelerated simulations
• Interest in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) biology, neuropharmacology, and close interdisciplinary collaboration with experimental researchers in neuroscience and molecular biology
• Ability to teach in a Scandinavian language
   

Language requirement:

• Good oral and written communication skills in English
• English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements:
  https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc8

Grade requirements:
The norm is as follows:

• The average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. For more information see:
http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

All candidates and projects will have to undergo a check versus national export, sanctions and security regulations. Candidates may be excluded based on these checks. Primary checkpoints are the Export Control regulation, the Sanctions regulation, and the national security regulation.

What are we looking for in you?

Personal skills:

• Strong analytical skills and scientific curiosity
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment
• High level of motivation, responsibility, and perseverance
• Clear and constructive scientific communication skills
   

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

We can offer you

• A pleasant and stimulating work 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
• Career development programmes
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
• Salary in position as PhD Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK from 550 800 - 595 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund 

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 do our best to accommodate your needs. 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 (Norwegian), 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.

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma and transcripts of records ( see below)
• Optional: Letters of recommendation
• Documentation of English proficiency if applicable
• List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for this job". Foreign applicants should attach an official explanation of their University's grading system.

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

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.

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 can't, you will hear from us.

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 (Norwegian) and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.  

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.