PhD Research Fellow in Fish Immunology and Development

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Fish Immunology and Development available at Department of Biosciences.

Starting date no later than October 1, 2026.

The fellowship period is three years.

A fourth year maybe considered and it will involve 25 percent of other career-promoting work. Other career-promoting work may consist of teaching, supervision, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

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

Place of work is the Department of Biosciences at Blindern, Oslo.

Job description

Applicants are invited to apply for a 3-years PhD position in “Fish Immunology and Development” to be based at the Department of Biosciences of the University of Oslo. This role contributes to the ERC-funded starting grant project “Fish-S.H.I.E.L.D.”, which aims to investigate the fish branchial cavity immune surveillance system and its importance for the fish defense against infectious diseases in aquaculture.

More about the position

The successful applicant will join Julien Resseguier’s “Spatial Immunology & Nanomedicines” group and become a key member of the Comparative Immunology team at the Department of Biosciences.

The project “Fish-S.H.I.E.L.D.” builds on the recent discovery of a complex lymphoid organization in the fish branchial cavity, which includes the “Amphibranchial Lymphoid Tissues (ALT)” and the “Interbranchial Lymphoid Tissues (ILT)” in the gills, and the Nemausean Lymphoid organ (NELO), revealing the branchial cavity as an important region of the fish immune system.

(https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adj0101) (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.769901/full)

The sustainability of aquaculture, important for our food security, is severely challenged by infectious diseases. Whereas the branchial cavity is particularly relevant for fish health and welfare in aquaculture, much remains to be done to understand its defense mechanisms. The main goal of the project is to characterize the newly discovered branchial cavity immune surveillance system to harness its potential against infectious diseases in aquaculture. The ERC project objective will use the zebrafish model to 1) Characterize the gill lymphoid tissues and tonsil-like organ. 2) Decipher the rules of antigen sampling, 3) Characterize the developmental framework. 4) Study the involvements in immune responses to infection and vaccines. This will then serve as a guide for investigations in Atlantic salmon and other fish species relevant for aquaculture.

The project will involve characterizations of immune functions using infection models and nanotechnologies, immunohistology, transcriptomics, antibody assays, and advanced 3D microscopy. For this, a lightsheet microscope dedicated to the imaging of cleared samples has been acquired, as well as a workstation for VR-assisted image analysis. This represents an unique opportunity in Norway.

We seek a highly motivated PhD student that will be primarily involved in deciphering the developmental aspect aspects of the project. Tasks will mainly focus on using the zebrafish model to investigate when and how the branchial cavity immune system develops and how this associate with immune functions. Tasks will also include experiments with Atlantic salmon. The project will involve imaging and molecular biology techniques.

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 or equivalent in Biosciences, Biology, or immunology
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Prior experience working with zebrafish and confocal microscopy
• Knowledge in immunology
• 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:

The following knowledge and experience will also count in the assessment of the applicants: Fish anatomy, Fish biology, Cryosection, Immunofluorescence, Developmental biology, Molecular biology, and Statistics.

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:

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Ability to work precise in a structured manner and swiftly adapts to new tasks
• Good communication and collaboration skills
• Positive attitude and the ability to handle hectic periods

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)
• 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.