Researcher in Computational Cancer Biology

A full-time researcher position in computational cancer biology is available at the Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, in Oslo, Norway. The position is in the Cancer Biology in Silico project group. The position is for 12 months, from 01.May 2026 - 30.April 2027, with possibility of extension.

The successful candidate will be a member of the Cancer Biology in Silico project group, led by Chloé B. Steen PhD (https://ous-research.no/cbs). The group has multiple ongoing projects aimed at developing and applying computational methods to discover cell states and their microenvironments in relation to cancer survival. The project group is part of the Cancer Genome Variation group, led by Prof. Vessela Kristensen (https://ous-research.no/kristensen/).

The candidate will work on method development and large-scale data analysis of spatial, single-cell, and bulk transcriptomics data from biospecimens obtained from cancer and pre-cancerous biopsies, in close collaboration with partners at the University of Oslo, Stanford University (California), and the University of Helsinki (Finland).

The project group PI has a strong track record of publishing methods widely used by the scientific community (e.g. Cell 2021, Cancer Cell 2021, Nature Biotechnology 2019 & 2023) and is funded through grants from the Research Council of Norway and the Norwegian Cancer Society. As a group member, the candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to impactful research at a highly competitive international level.

The physical workplace will be at the Department of Medical Genetics, Section for Research and Development. In early 2027, the Department will move to the new Life Science building (https://www.uio.no/english/research/strategic-research-areas/life-science/about/building/), offering the candidate the exciting opportunity to work in Norway’s largest and most modern research facility.

The Department of Medical Genetics at Oslo University Hospital is Norway’s largest medical genetics department with over 200 employees. The department is responsible for diagnostics of rare and inherited diseases, and runs a national research infrastructure for high-throughput DNA sequencing at the Norwegian Consortium for Sequencing and Personalized Medicine (www.norseq.org). The research section in the department has 7 research groups (www.ous-research.no/meg/) working in various fields of medical genetics, including breast cancer, the genetics of autoimmune, neurological, cardiovascular and psychiatric disorders, epigenetics causes of disease, as well as groups focusing on
bioinformatics.

Oslo University Hospital is a workplace with great diversity. We believe this is crucial for solving our tasks in the best possible way. We want this diversity to be reflected among the applicants for our positions, and we encourage all qualified candidates, regardless of background, to apply!

Working tasks

The candidate will work on method development and large-scale data analysis of spatial, single-cell, and bulk transcriptomics data from biospecimens obtained from cancer and pre-cancerous biopsies. These tasks will be done in close collaboration with partners at the University of Oslo, Stanford University (California), and the University of Helsinki (Finland).

Qualifications

Master’s or PhD degree in computational biology, bioinformatics, computer science, statistics, or a related field.

Experience in the following topics is required:

• Broad programming experience (e.g. Python, R, Bash).
• Experience with large-scale data analysis, data visualization, and data integration.
• Experience with version control (e.g. Git).

Experience in the following topics will be considered an advantage:

• Analysis of omics data, in particular transcriptomics, single cell and/or spatial data.
• Experience in method development.
• Proven ability to implement bioinformatics pipelines, tools, and/or resources.
• Experience working on servers and/or in a HPC environment.

Documentation of previous education and experience must be attached to the application.

Personal qualities

• Highly motivated, well-organized, and dynamic, with a high level of independence and creative thinking.
• Ability to formulate, present, and execute novel ideas in method development, data analysis, and interpretation.
• Team player who can also work independently in a multidisciplinary and international environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Proactive, flexible, and solution-oriente.
• Comfortable working with deadlines and being involved in multiple projects simultaneously.

We offer

• A stimulating, international, and multidisciplinary research environment where quality, professionalism and team spirit are encouraged.
• The possibility to work on scientifically exceptional and high impact, state-of-the-art projects.
• A productive and motivating research environment.
• Salary in agreement with the current collective agreement, and qualifications/experience.
• Favorable pension arrangements.
• Attractive welfare arrangements.
• Possibility for extending the contract if funds are available.