PhD in Neurobiology of Energy Homeostasis

Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

University of Copenhagen

The University of Copenhagen is seeking a highly motivated and talented PhD fellow to commence February 1, 2025, or after agreement in the Clemmensen Group at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR), University of Copenhagen.

The PhD fellowship is part of the CBMR International PhD & Postdoc Program.

About Us
The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR) is an academic research Center that pioneers groundbreaking research towards better cardiometabolic health. Through collaborative interdisciplinary research from single-cell genomics to whole-body systems, CBMR aims to transform the basic understanding of cardiometabolic health and accelerate its translation into prevention and treatment strategies. The Center’s uniquely multi- and interdisciplinary approach combines research in genetics, physiology and pharma­cology, to better understand the complex interplay of the many factors that drive cardiometabolic disease. You can learn more in the Executive Summary of CBMR's Strategy 2024–2028.

CBMR was established in 2010 at the Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences and has been located in the Maersk Tower at PANUM since 2017. The around 260 employees create an international, highly collaborative research environment across disciplines.

Our Research
The Clemmensen Group works to uncover key regulatory aspects of body weight biology. One of the primary focus areas is to understand the physiological and molecular mechanisms that protect against weight gain. To achieve this, we have developed rodent and human models of 'experimental overfeeding'. Another significant area of our research is to investigate how energy balance disturbances affect neuroplasticity, with a particular emphasis on glutamatergic signalling.

Driven by our findings in energy balance and neuroscience, we use medicinal chemistry to develop new drug candidates for treating obesity and related diseases. We employ modified peptide hormones to deliver small molecules to target cells, aiming to create new medications that reduce the body's defended level of fat.

Project Description

This project revolves around targeting hypothalamic neuroplasticity for sustained weight loss. Accordingly, we are looking to recruit a candidate with a background in molecular biology, neuroscience or similar and with interest in rodent CNS biology and appetite regulation. The candidate will work in close collaboration with several other group members from the Clemmensen Group, as well as other labs at CBMR and our international collaborators. Experimentally, the project involves mouse genetics, fiber photometry, confocal microscopy, and advanced metabolic and behavioral mouse phenotyping.

Principal supervisor: Associate Professor, Christoffer Clemmensen, chc@sund.ku.dk

Start:  February 1, 2025

Duration: 1 year as Research Assistant followed by 3 years as PhD fellow contingent on a positive evaluation of the 1st year.

Profile

The PhD fellowship is aimed at early-career researchers with a basic science background or clinicians who aspire to a career in academic medicine.

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants for the position  

You have a master's degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Molecular Biomedicine, or related sciences (equivalent to a Danish candidate 3+2 years).

Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.

As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database.

Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.

Required qualifications:

• The grade point average achieved
• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Previous publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other professional activities
• A curious mindset with a strong interest in neurobiology of energy homeostasis
• Excellent English communication skills, both written and oral

Eligibility

The PhD fellowships within the CBMR International PhD & Postdoc Program are open for applicants that hold a Master’s degree equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years). The Master’s degree has to be obtained before February 1, 2025. You are not eligible to apply for the program if you have been employed in a Research Assistant position for more than two years at the University of Copenhagen prior to the commencement of the fellowship.

Terms of Employment

The employment consists of 1 year as a Research Assistant followed by 3 years as PhD fellow contingent on a positive evaluation of the 1st year. Starting date is February 1, 2025, or after agreement.

The employment as PhD fellow is conditioned upon the applicant’s successful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant. The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.

Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

Questions

For further information about the position, please contact Assoc. Prof. Christoffer Clemmensen, chc@sund.ku.dk. Questions regarding the CBMR International PhD & Postdoc Program must be directed to cbmr@sund.ku.dk. For questions regarding the recruitment procedure, please contact HR at sund-hr-cbmr@sund.ku.dk.

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website.

The University of Copenhagen International Staff Mobility office offers support and assistance to all international researchers on all issues related to moving to and settling in Denmark.

Application Procedure

Your online application must be submitted in English via the ‘Apply now’ link below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

• Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
• CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant to the position
• Certified copy of original Master’s diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
• List of publications
• References (name and contact details of at least two references)

Application Deadline: September 20, 2024, 23.59pm CET

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The Further Process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment work has been completed, each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You can read about the recruitment process at www.employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process.

The applicant will be assessed according to Ministerial Order No. 242 of March 13, 2012, on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their personal backgrounds.