Research fellow in vascular disease with focus on plasma biomarkers for diagnosis and risk prediction in thrombotic diseases

The Faculty of Health Sciences has a 2 year position as a research fellow available in the Translational Vascular Research Group at the Department of Clinical Medicine under the supervision of Professor Jacob Odeberg and Professor Lynn Butler.

Contact

Further information about the position and project is available by contacting:

• Professor Jacob Odeberg, email: jacob.o.odeberg@uit.no
• Professor Lynn Butler, email: lynn.m.butler@uit.no

About the project  

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising both pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), affects about 1,000,000 individuals/year in Europe and is the third most common cardiovascular disease after coronary artery disease and stroke. 

The aim of our research is to identify disease-associated blood biomarkers linked to the underlying pathogenesis of thrombosis and to develop these into prediction tools that ultimately would have clinical utility in diagnosis and risk prediction, to aid in treatment decisions. This translational research is performed in an interdisciplinary setting involving experimental and clinically oriented researchers and bioinformaticians, and builds on an existing collaboration between UiT, University Hospital of North Norway (UNN) and groups at SciLifeLab/KTH, Stockholm. 

In this project we aim, through bioinformatic analysis of large datasets and functional characterization of novel candidates with EC enriched expression, to identify those linked to underlying vascular function and mechanisms of relevance for thrombosis. Subsequently, we will measure these proteins in plasma from prospective cohorts of patients with VTE to validate and select the most informative markers as a basis for novel diagnostic and risk predictive models.  

The candidate will use different bioinformatics approaches and experimental models, to identify relevant markers for further assay development and validation in patient cohorts. (S)he will also help to initiate a prospective biomarker validation study of patients with venous thrombosis at the clinic of medicine at UNN.

Qualification requirements

The applicant requires a Norwegian doctoral degree in biology, biomedicine or other relevant life science discipline, or a corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree. 

Interest in cardiovascular disease and biology and knowledge of this research field is required. The applicant should have experience of primary cell culture-based work, preferably endothelial cells. Knowledge of relevant in vitro assays and experimental vascular models is a strong merit. Experience in a wide variety of molecular biology techniques, including recombinant protein production, plasmid and viral vector over expression systems and gene silencing methods is beneficial, as is experience in application of omics-based methodologies. Expertise in analytical/statistical tools such as R, GraphPad Prism, SPSS or Matlab is a strong merit. The candidate should have research experience to be able to lead their own project and to coach/supervise other students (master, PhD or assist other colleagues in the group if required) and ideally an excellent record of publications. 

We highly regard careful record keeping, strong collaborative skills and creative thinking. In addition, good oral and written communication skills in English are required. The applicant must be willing to learn Norwegian within two years. We put great emphasis on that the person can collaborate with the rest of the team, has the ability to prioritise and help the group reach its goals.

We can offer

• Interesting work tasks in a cutting-edge research project
• A vibrant international research community
• State-of-the-art research infrastructure
• Flexible working hours and a state collective agreement
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

Working conditions

The position is a fixed term position for a period of 2 years.

The working hours shall be utilized for research, research-related activities and research administration.

The successful applicant must be willing to engage himself/herself in the ongoing development of his/her discipline and the university as a whole. 

The remuneration for this position is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1109.

A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.

How to apply 

Application and submitted documents (see below) must be sent electronically via the application form available on www.jobbnorge.no and the application must include:

• Cover letter including a short description of interests and reasons for applying for the position 
• CV containing a complete overview of education, experience, professional work, pedagogical qualifications and references 
• Diplomas and certificates
• Documentation of proficiency in English
• List of works and description of these 
• the list of works shall contain the following information:
  • author(s), the work’s title
  • for articles: the journal’s name and volume, the first and last page of the article, year of publication
  • for publications: publisher, printer, year of publication, number of pages
•  Academic works:
• The applicant may submit up to ten works that are central to his/her production. The applicant’s doctoral thesis is regarded in this context as one work. 
• In addition, the applicant shall provide a description of his/her production stating which works he/she considers the most important and which shall therefore be the main emphasis of the assessment. A brief description of the other listed works shall also be included to demonstrate depth of production. 

Proficiency in the English language can be documented in the following ways:

• Diploma from a Norwegian upper secondary school with both spoken and written English (140 hours)
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
• IELTS (International English Testing Service)
• Completed university degree in the field of English language or literature
• One year’s completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or USA, for which English was the language of instruction.

Documentation has to be in English or a Scandinavian language. We only accept applications through Jobbnorge.

Assessment

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee’s mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants’ qualifications based on the application documents and the text of the announcement.

The Assessment Committee will give emphasis to the potential for research, as presented in the PhD thesis or equivalent, or in any other academic works.

In the assessment, consideration may also be given to professional experience and any other activity which may be significant for the completion of the project, as well as to any pedagogical qualifications. This includes pedagogical training, teaching experience, experience of public education and experience/training of other kinds.

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview shall, among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s personal suitability for the position and motivations. A trial lecture may also be held. 

General

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants. 

More information about moving to Norway and working at UiT: http://uit.no/mobility 

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

You can find more information on the website for arriving staff.

We look forward to receiving your application!