This is NTNU

NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

. Video: https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0

About the position

A new PhD position is available in the lab of Dr. Mara Martin-Alonso, Group Leader at IKOM. Our groups main scientific goal is to understand how diseases affecting mucosal surfaces such as the gut are started and developed in time. This project focuses on how epithelium is reprogrammed in processes such as intestinal repair and under inflammatory damages, and how this process is controlled by untypical studied stromal partners. The main goal of the candidate will be to study the mechanisms implicated in intestinal diseases as inflammatory bowel disease affecting the intestinal epithelium and the possible partners related to the different phases of the disease. The work will be a combination of ex vivo organoid cultures, in vivo disease models, combined with RNAseq, histology, flow cytometry, microscopy, bioinformatics and general cell and biochemical work.

The period of employment for the position is 3 years, preferably starting in Fall-Winter 2025.

Our laboratory consists of an international team of enthusiastic biologists and biotechnologists, with an exciting and good work atmosphere.

We seek a highly motivated new colleague with preferred experience in intestinal biology in mice, including organoids culture and tissue processing and staining. The candidate is expected to spearhead his/her research line and should be able to present the data by writing and publishing in scientific journals, and by orally presenting them at meetings. Thus, oral and written competence of the English language is a must.

We are looking forward to bringing in an excited candidate that will complement our current strengths, who can work independently, but also participate and contribute to the research of others in the group.

Please read our recent publications to have a broad overview of techniques and approaches used in our laboratory.

Duties of the position

• Organoid Research: Work with intestinal organoids, including their isolation, culture, and maintenance. Handle normal, genetically modified, and disease-derived organoid models.
• Animal Work: Conduct mouse studies related to inflammation, tumor development, and organoid isolation. Maintain and manage mouse colonies.
• Experimental Analysis: Utilize various cell and molecular biology techniques, including histology, microscopy, flow cytometry, RNA-seq, proteomics, Western blot, and qPCR, to analyze organoid and mouse models.
• Bioinformatics: Apply basic bioinformatics tools, including statistical analyses of results, RNA-seq and mass spectrometry data analysis.
• Data & Publication: Analyze data and generate figures for publication in international peer-reviewed journals. Collaborate on academic manuscripts.
• Complete doctoral education leading to a PhD.
• Conduct high-quality research within the outlined framework.
• Participate in research group meetings and contribute to other members' projects when needed.
• International Engagement: Take part in international activities such as conferences and research stays at foreign institutions.

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have an academically relevant background within molecular medicine, molecular and cellular biology, biotechnology or a related field.
• You must have a Master's degree in molecular and cellular biology, molecular medicine, biology or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than end of August 2025.
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme.
• Proficiency in oral and written English.
• Prior experience in animal model research, preferably in mice.
• Prior experience in organoids and/or cell culture.
• Technical skills in molecular and cellular biology, and genetics.
• Experience in histology, immunostaining and imaging (e.g. confocal microscopy).

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PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations for the Universities and Colleges Act (university and colleges regulations) and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• CAREin or Felasa C certification in mouse handling is beneficial
• Good oral and written presentation skills in English
• Experience in flow cytometry
• Ability to do programming to analyze large data sets

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to:

• work both independently and in a team
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed
• Be honest and reliable

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Working capital that can be used to implement the project
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• As a public employee, you have favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values ​​are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals.

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education.

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK  536 200,-  per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary.

The employment period is 3 years.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in medicine within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For the necessary academic and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

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

About the application

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in English.

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

The application must include:

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees
• CV
• Copy of Master's thesis. If you have recently submitted your Master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• Publications or other relevant research work
• Names and contact information of three relevant referees

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both Bachelor's and Master's education, in addition to other higher education. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

General information

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact the Group Leader at mara.m.alonso@ntnu.no.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor Elisabeth Myrvang (elisabeth.myrvang@ntnu.no).

Application deadline: 30.April 2025

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For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 

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The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.