Postdoc of Barrier Immunology at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology

We are looking for a highly motivated and dynamic postdoc to join the Barrier Immunology group headed by Professor William Agace at the LEO Foundation Skin Immunology Research Center (SIC), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, for a 3-year position to commence on November 1st, 2024.

As a postdoc, you will combine cutting-edge animal models with experimental wet lab and in silico tools to deepen our understanding of intestinal immune responses during homeostasis and inflammation. You will contribute to enhancing the future research directives of the group, with potential translational merit for clinical studies into inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Information on the department can be found at https://isim.ku.dk and https://sic.ku.dk



Our research
The Barrier Immunology group strives to generate fundamental insights into the molecular and cellular networks involved in the regulation of intestinal immune responses. As a postdoc, you will join a diverse and superb team of international researchers within the newly established ‘Center for Intestinal Immune Regulation (CIIR)’ funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Programme. CIIR is comprised of 4 collaborating teams: the Agace lab (University of Copenhagen); the McCoy lab (University of Calgary, (Canada)); the Bendtsen unit (Hvidovre Hospital); and the Rønn Olsen lab (Technical University of Denmark). Combined, these teams represent world-class expertise in mucosal immunology, gastroenterology, microbiota-host interactions, bioinformatics, and state-of-the-art animal models, and are aiming to identify intestinal immune-stromal interactions important in intestinal homeostasis and IBD. In joining, you will be part of a highly vibrant and cross-disciplinary group of researchers at the international forefront of mucosal barrier immunology research.



Your job
We are looking for a highly engaged candidate to drive our current research activities surrounding immune-stromal interactions and contribute to deciphering the molecular and cellular mechanisms important in intestinal homeostasis and disease. The project is multi-disciplinary and will involve close collaborations with participating bioinformaticians, as well as researchers analysing human intestinal immune compartments in health and in IBD.

Your tasks as a postdoc include:

• Identifying of immune-stromal interactions important for maintenance of intestinal immune homeostasis and immune-mediated pathology in the setting of inflammation.
• Utilizing state-of-the-art transgenic mouse models to modulate intestinal stromal-immune interactions for the assessment of downstream consequences on intestinal homeostasis and disease.
• Generating and analysing complex and high-dimensional data, including but not limited to: flow cytometry, cell sorting, histology, and single-cell proteomics/transcriptomics.
• Performing in vitro mode-of-action studies to support/complement in vivo findings.
• Designing, writing, and amending study protocols for the pursuit of our scientific projects.
• Maintaining mouse colonies, including standard husbandry and genotyping.
• Supervising early-career research scientists.
• Supporting the acquisition of external funding for future research activities.
• Presenting and disseminating research activities to scientific peers and the broader public.

Profile
We are looking for a highly-motivated and enthusiastic scientist with the following experience and competencies:

Essential experience and skills:

• You have a PhD in immunology or a related field.
• You are highly motivated.
• You have a deep understanding of immune processes taking place within barrier surfaces such as the intestine.
• You have a deep understanding of myeloid and CD4 T cell biology, including technical experience for studying myeloid and T cell responses both in vitro and in vivo.
• You are highly experienced with aseptic cell culture work, including establishing co-culture experiments with primary cells ex vivo.
• You are highly experienced in designing and performing in vivo animal experiments, including a deep knowledge and technical knowhow surrounding transgenic mouse models, surgical procedures, and mouse colony maintenance.
• You are highly experienced in isolating mouse tissues (such as the intestine) for downstream analyses including the generation of single cells, as well as preparation for imaging techniques.
• You are highly experienced in designing, and independently performing multiparameter flow cytometry experiments, including flow-based cell sorting.
• You have experience with immunofluorescent imaging.
• You are experienced with the generation and analysis of single cell sequencing data.
• You have experience with data visualization and analysis software including R, GraphPad Prism, Imaris, and Illustrator.
• You have experience in writing scientific articles for publication and examples of published work.
• You can work independently but also enjoy contributing to and working in a team.
• You have excellent communication skills.
• You have experience in acquiring funding for research activities.
• You have excellent English skills, both written and spoken.

Desirable experience and skills:

• A strong interest in studying intestinal fibroblast subsets and their function.
• Experience with generation and analysis of spatial transcriptomics data.
• Interest in the development of novel experimental methods to study the intestinal immune system, including organ culture techniques.

Place of employment

The place of employment is at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology (ISIM), LEO Foundation Skin Immunology Research Center, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and state-of-the-art core facilities to fulfill the experimental project aims. As you would be part of a highly collaborative scientific network, also the research infrastructure of collaborating partners may be used.



Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.



The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The starting date is 1 November, 2024, or after agreement.

Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant organisation. Currently, the monthly salary starts at 38,575.98 DKK/approx. 5,100 EUR (April 2024 level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions, if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.



Questions
For further information please contact Professor William Agace ([email protected]) www.sund.ku.dk

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility).



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

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page).
2. CV incl. education, work/research experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.
3. A certified/signed copy of a) PhD certificate and b) Master of Science certificate. If the PhD is not completed, a written statement from the supervisor will do.
4. List of publications.

Deadline for applications: 31 May 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 http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

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



Interviews are expected to be held in week 26 and 27

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.