The Department of Clinical Research (KI), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark (SDU) invites applications for a postdoctoral position to study Heterogeneity and Crosstalk of Stromal Cells in Humans with Osteoporosis using advanced functional genomics at the Molecular Endocrinology Department(KMEB), Research unit of Endocrinology. 

The position is available for 2 years and is expected to start in either April or May 2024, or depending on the candidate’s availability.

Job description

Come and join our creative and innovative research group that combines functional, physiological and clinical studies to tackle current clinical challenges and basic understanding of bone metabolism. Our vision is to understand how lifestyle, genetic predisposition, endocrine factors and clinical interventions change the activity or composition of bone forming cells to contribute to or combat the pathology of metabolic bone diseases.

You are expected to spearhead a highly ambitious and interdisciplinary project in which you will map the heterogeneity of stromal cells from human bone marrow in healthy subjects and in osteoporotic patients before after anabolic clinical intervention. You will determine the bone forming properties of isolated distinct cell populations using xenograft and fracture healing models and investigate the underlying signaling pathways that modulate osteoblast activity during health and disease. We hypothesize that the anabolic response of bone forming cells is linked to their metabolic properties and that interventions at the training or diet level have synergistic effects on clinical interventions using anabolic treatment options. 

You will be accompanied by a research group that counts four PhD students and Associate Professor Alexander Rauch and that is part of the Molecular Endocrinology Department(KMEB) which is affiliated with the Odense University Hospital, Steno Diabetes Center Odense, and the Department of Clinical Research at the University of Southern Denmark. Our unit greatly values an open, diverse, personal, and interactive working environment and provides an exceptional infrastructure to combine stem cell phenotyping, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, spatial and single cell transcriptomics as well as transgenic mouse models with access to human sample material.

We offer a fully financed full-time position for two years with the possibility of extension, an individual career development plan with emphasis on fostering networking, management, and leadership skills. We encourage and support you to develop your own research ideas and to integrate those in funding schemes of our research unit. 

We expect you to frame, organize and conduct the research activities for the project linked to this position and to actively engage with ongoing research projects at our unit. You will be part of educational activities by mentoring bachelor and master students, and you will be a central element in the international collaborations of our research group.

Qualifications

We are looking for highly motivated, dedicated, and ambitious scientists with:

• A PhD degree in Life or Medical Science, preferable Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedicine, Endocrinology or Computational Systems Biology
• Documented expertise in stem cell biology, cell sorting and/or single cell RNA-seq data analysis
• Ideally at least one first author publication in a relevant journal in the field
• Strong communication and collaborative skills and an interest in working in an interdisciplinary environment
• Proficiency in spoken and written English

For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Alexander Rauch, e-mail:  arauch@health.sdu.dk

Candidates who are about to obtain these qualifications are also encouraged to apply. 

Salary and terms of employment

The applicant will be employed at Department of Clinical Research, SDU in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC  (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations).

Application

Applications will be assessed by an expert committee. Applicants will be informed of their assessment by the university.

Applications – including the required attachments – must be sent electronically via the below-mentioned link “Apply online”. Only online applications will be accepted and assessed. Attached files must be Adobe PDF or Word format. Each field in the application form can contain up to max. 10 MB.

Only applications written in English will be accepted for evaluation.

The application must include (as PDF files) (please note that the application (the cover letter) and CV must not exceed 10 MB in total):

• A cover letter (application)
• A detailed CV
• Degree certificates (including PhD diploma, all documents combined in a single PDF file)
• A teaching portfolio
• A research plan which details the candidate’s ideas and plans for her/his future research work, where emphasis can be on plans for research topics 
• References
• A complete and numbered list of publications
• 3 scientific peer-reviewed publications which the candidate considers as most important for the position. The selection of these publications can both reflect research topics, but also be selected to demonstrate expertise in specific methods applied. Please note that one PDF must be attached for each publication.

If you experience technical problems, you must contact hcm-support@sdu.dk. 

Incomplete applications, which do not meet the above-mentioned requirements, will not be assessed.

Applications may be shortlisted.

Living and working in Denmark

Foreign applicants will be offered Danish language training as part of the employment. 

The International Staff Office (ISO) at SDU provides a variety of services for new employees, guests and people who consider applying for a job at the University of Southern Denmark. Among other things, the staff answers questions concerning salary, taxation, housing and accompanying family.

The University of Southern Denmark wishes to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.