Fellowship in Bioinformatic analyses of longitudinal breast cancer single cell RNA sequencing.

A 3-year position as PhD student is available at the Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital.

The position will be associated with the ‘breast cancer heterogeneity and oncoimmunology’ project group (https://www.ous-research.no/tekpli) and is financed by the Norwegian Health authorities through the project: "Longitudinal analyses of single cells in breast tumors to characterize and overcome resistance to therapies".

The lab has longstanding collaborations with oncologists at Oslo University Hospital (OUH) and Akershus University Hospital (Ahus) and conducts translational research in numerous clinical trials. Through collaborations with oncologists, we integrate cutting‑edge single‑cell analysis with clinical studies to characterize mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to standard‑of‑care and investigational breast‑cancer therapies

The past 3-4 years, we have performed single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) on tumor biopsies sampled at different time points of neoadjuvant therapy. Currently, the major focus of the lab is to use single cell technologies to understand which exact cell types / phenotypes are sensitive or resistant to therapies and to characterize how the tumor microenvironment determines tumor behavior and response to cancer therapies. We also maintain an innovative program to analyze, at single‑cell resolution, how epigenetic modifications and enhancer usage contribute to treatment resistance.

Oslo University Hospital is a workplace with great diversity. We believe this is crucial to solving our tasks in the best possible way. We want this diversity to be reflected among the applicants for our positions, and encourage all qualified candidates, regardless of background, to apply.

Kvalifikasjoner:

We are looking for a highly motivated person, well organized and dynamic with creative thinking.

• MSc with a topic in one of the following areas: bioinformatics, computational biology, molecular biology or similar. 
• Working proficiency in appropriate programming languages and software. Advance knowledge in R and / or python.   
• Experience building reproducible workflow pipelines (e.g., Snakemake or Nextflow).  
• Experience in one of the following topics will be considered an advantage: machine learning, analysis of scRNA-seq / knowledge of genomics / regulatory networks/ (cancer) immunology / (statistical) data analysis.
• High intrinsic motivation and strong scientific curiosity  
• Ability to be inventive and to present novel ideas, data analyses and interpretation.
• Excellent oral and written English communication skills.  
• Proactive, flexible, and problem-solving attitude.
• Meeting the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you already have fulfilled a PhD and are very interested in our research, or if you have completed your MSc studies and not necessarily looking for a PhD position.

All applications must include:

• A presentation letter describing your motivation.
• A full CV including contact details, a list of your publications (if any).
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted.
• Name and contact information of 2-3 referees.

Vi tilbyr:

• A full-time contract for three years.
• Access to state-of-the-art technologies and HPC.
• A stimulating (international, multidisciplinary) research environment where quality, professionalism and team spirit are encouraged.
• A strong bioinformatic community gathered around the project.
• The ability to work on scientifically exceptional and high impact, state-of-the-art projects.
• The opportunity to be part of a young and dynamic team and to provide a meaningful contribution to oncological research.
• Rigorous research training and supervision

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD program within three years of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD program during the employment period.