Doctoral student in Medical Science - Molecular mechanism regulating synapse stability

About the position​ The Department of Biotechnology at the Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences, and Biotechnology (ALB) at the University of Inland Norway (INN) invites applications from exceptional candidates for a PhD position. The position is expected to start as soon as possible and will last for three years. The successful candidate will be based at the Department of Biotechnology. The candidate will be enrolled in INNs PhD program in applied ecology and biotechnology, and the candidate must work from the designated workplace in Hamar.  The appointed PhD candidate will work in the group of Professor Rafi Ahmad. The Ahmad group (https://www.inn.no/english/find-an-employee/rafi-ahmad.html) is also part of the Norwegian Network for One Health Resistome Surveillance (NORSE), a national network of 13 Norwegian institutions. The group is also part of Microbiology Matters (MiMa), a PhD school with work-life relevance that focuses on One Health and infectious diseases (https://en.uit.no/project/mima). The group is also affiliated with the National Center of Expertise, Heidner Biocluster. The appointed candidate will be working within a proliferating scientific environment comprising academic staff members, Ph.D. students, and research fellows with scientific expertise ranging from theoretical methods (machine learning, biostatistics, and bioinformatics) to experimental methods (genomics, molecular biology, clinical microbiology, microscopy, and spectroscopy). About the project​ The WHO considers bacterial infection caused by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a critical global threat to modern healthcare and societal well-being. It has been nearly 40 years since a new class of antibiotics was introduced to the market. This, along with the increased and often inappropriate use of existing drugs, means we are heading toward a world where antibiotics may no longer be effective. Remarkably, most prescriptions and antibiotic administration are still done without any information on the causative pathogens or their resistance profiles. The selected candidate will work within the UTI-Diag and OH-AMR-Diag projects funded by the Research Council of Norway. Please find the project details here:  • https://www.inn.no/english/research/research-projects/UTI-Diag/ • https://www.inn.no/english/research/research-projects/OH-AMR-Diag/ The main objective of these projects is to develop a proof-of-concept decision-making diagnostic system for rapid, accurate, and sensitive on-site detection of infections, pathogen identification, characterization of resistance profiles, and prediction of antibiotic susceptibility. Alongside INN University, we have a fantastic group of partners in the project consortium. From Norway - University of Tromsø, University hospital of North-Norway, Inland Hospital, and Norwegian Institute of Public Health. From India - Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. Plus, we’re thrilled to collaborate with the World Health Organization and the European Section of Infections in Urology.  The key objectives of this Ph.D. project include (a) optimizing the in-house developed novel method for culture-independent sample preparation for body fluids; (b) performing metagenomic and potentially photonics analysis on clinical samples, and (c) correlation of the generated data; (d) proof of concept study to evaluate the performance of the development method in clinical settings. Please refer to our latest publications, which highlight our work. • https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-66865-8 • https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-55635-z • https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1680165/full  • https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10096-024-04929-1 • https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1784408  Qualifications​ Qualifications​ It is a requirement that the PhD research fellow qualifies for admission to the University's PhD programme in Applied ecology and biotechnology. Applicants who already hold a PhD will not be considered. Applicants who have submitted their master's thesis for evaluation before the deadline are eligible to apply, but final documentation must be obtained before employment is offered. To be admitted to the doctoral program, the applicant must normally have a minimum master's degree or master's level (120 credits, §3 master's in the Norwegian system) or equivalent education, within in biotechnology, molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, or another relevant scientific discipline. Furthermore, you must have a strong academic background from your previous studies, i.e., the average grade should normally be B or better from the master's program (120 credits) or equivalent education. Calculation of the average grade is based on the credits for each course and for the master's thesis. Applicants with weaker grades than what is normally required for admission must document that they will be able to complete a doctoral degree. In cases where the education has been approved with the use of the grades passed / failed, the applicant is admitted after an individual assessment. If you have education from abroad, you can contact NOKUT for approval of your education, alternatively, a similar assessment will be made in connection with the application process. Required qualifications​ The required qualifications are: • Prior experience with methods development, including nucleic acid extraction or host cell/DNA depletion. • Hands-on experience with sequencing technologies from Oxford Nanopore, including MinION flow cells. • Prior experience with the entire sequencing workflow, from sample preparation to bioinformatics analysis. • Hands-on experience handling clinical samples. • Skilled in analyzing large-scale biological datasets, including whole-genome sequencing and metagenomic sequencing.   Desired Qualifications​ • Fluency in scripting in Python and R. • Experience with AMR and infection biology. The candidate must also demonstrate proficiency in spoken and written English. Applicants from non-English-speaking countries must document English competence through an approved test (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Additional consideration will be given to those with strong teamwork and communication skills and to those with documented scientific publications. Evaluation of candidates for the position will be based on a total assessment of educational background, experience, and personal suitability, as well as motivation and other eligibility requirements, as defined in the advertisement. In addition, the following will be emphasized: quality of the project description, documented independent research and development work or experience relevant to the project. The position and associated tasks must be carried out in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations for government employees, including also the Act on Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology, etc. Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, come into conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to take up the position at University of Inland Norway. Necessary approvals must be maintained throughout the employment relationship. How to apply​ The application and attachments must be submitted electronically and include the following: • Application cover letter summarizing the candidate’s motivation and how they meet the position requirements. • CV (summary of education and work experience). • Copies of academic certificates/transcripts. • Minimum of two references with complete contact information. • A complete list of scientific and other publications. Attachments must be uploaded as separate files. If the attachments exceed 30 MB, they must be compressed prior to upload. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all attachments are uploaded. Documents submitted after expiry of the deadline will not be considered in the evaluation of your application. If you are awaiting final master's documentation, please submit your thesis and transcript. University of Inland Norway aims to balance gender composition in the workforce and recruit people from ethnic minority backgrounds. According to the Norwegian Law "Offentlighetsloven §25.2 ledd," information about an applicant can be published even if the applicant has requested not to be included in the public list of applicants. We offer​ • Collaborating within a multidisciplinary team comprising microbiologists, ML/AI specialists, bioinformaticians, medical professionals, and physicists. • Access to cutting-edge computational infrastructure. • Involvement in a stimulating and impactful project that contributes positively to society, offering opportunities for both personal and scientific growth. • An intellectually stimulating work environment with dynamic colleagues focused on a critical and rapidly growing research field. • A flexible and independent work setting where candidates have significant autonomy. Daily interaction with talented and motivated colleagues. • Position is paid and placed in position code 1017, PhD candidate in the Government Salary Scale (A paygrade of LT 54). • Life insurance and occupational injury insurance are included. Pension contributions to Statens pensjonskasse (State Pension Fund) will be automatically deducted. All residents in Norway are automatically included in the Norwegian public health system. For more information about INN University as an employer, please see here. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0FVnszhpJYGeneral information​ For further details about the position, please contact professor Rafi Ahmad, rafi.ahmad@inn.no  INN believes that there is strength in inclusion and diversity. We desire employees with different competencies, professional combinations, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to an even better way of solving problems. We will facilitate for employees who need assitance to realise their goals. Relevant adaptations can be, for example, technical aids, adapting furniture or adjusting routines, work tasks and working hours. If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in the CV or immigrant background, we shall call at least one applicant in each of these categories for an interview. In order to be considered as an applicant in these groups, the applicants must meet certain requirements. You can read more on this here: https://arbeidsgiver.difi.no/positivsaerbehandling. We encourage applicants to tick in Jobbnorge if they have a disability, a gap in their CV or immigrant background. The ticks in the jobseeker portal form the basis for anonymised statistics that all state-owned enterprises report in their annual reports Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

The position​  A Postdoctoral Research Fellow position is available at the Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, with the research group for Host-Microbe Interactions. The position is a fixed term position for a duration of 3 years. It is a prerequisite that the applicant can carry out the project over the full course of the employment period. No person may hold more than one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution. As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will have the opportunity to advance your scientific career and further qualify for academic positions. If you do not already have the educational competence that meets the requirements for an Associate Professor position in Norway, UiT will arrange such competence during the employment period. The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer. Unless special circumstances indicate otherwise, postdoctoral projects shall be planned with stays abroad. The duration should be at least 6 months. The project/position's field of research​ The postdoctoral fellow will be part of an emerging project area headed by Prof. Christian Lentz. Combining chemical biology, molecular biology, bacterial physiology and infection biology methods, our research is dedicated to unravel how bacterial pathogens functionally adapt to their host and antibiotics and to translate these insights to develop innovative approaches to prevent, treat and diagnose bacterial infections. In particular, we are interested in understanding: i) how single cells shape the collective function of bacterial pathogen cell populations during colonization and infection,  ii) how previously undercharacterized hydrolytic enzymes and dynamic changes in chemical modifications of the biomolecular landscape of bacterial cells contribute to bacterial physiology, pathogenesis and drug susceptibility,  iii) understanding and modelling pathogenesis and treatment failure of difficult-to-treat clinical infections. The main model organisms used in our team are Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. We seek a highly motivated, research-minded candidate, with a strong academic track-record and complementary research interests and expertise. The project will be tailored to the successful candidate, and the postdoctoral fellow is encouraged to develop their own research ideas and strategies within the framework of the project. The postdoctoral fellow will manage the project, design and execute experiments, and supervise students. • The postdoctoral fellow will have access to core facilities at the Faculty of Health Sciences, providing state-of-the-art technology and hands-on expertise in bioimaging, FACS, proteomics/metabolomics, genomics and animal experimentation. • The postdoctoral fellow will work in a team with local, national and international collaboration partners. • The postdoctoral fellow may contribute to the Department's teaching activities (up to 10% of the time). Teaching duties will be allocated based on the applicant's qualifications and the needs of the Department, and may include exam work, teaching seminars, and supervising or assisting in lab courses. You must submit a vision statement for how you will strengthen research activities in the research group. Contact​ For further information about the position, please contact Professor Christian Lentz: • Phone: (+47) 77644905 • Email: christian.s.lentz@uit.no or Professor Mona Johannessen: • Phone +47 776 46225 • Email: mona.johannessen@uit.no  Qualifications​ Required qualifications:​ • Completion of a relevant PhD degree in molecular microbiology/bacterial infection biology/chemical biology or related field of study is required before starting the position. Applicants who in the final stages of their PhD are welcome to apply. • Strong academic track record and publication list • A high motivation for research and complementarity of the candidate´s research interest and expertise with ongoing research activities in the research group as is to be outlined in the candidate´s vision statement. • Strong documented skills in at least one of the following areas is required • Bacterial Pathogenesis • Cellular Microbiology • Bacterial physiology and stress responses • Molecular microbiology (related to pathogenic bacteria) • Interactions of bacterial pathogens and the human microbiome • Chemical biology applied to bacteria • Fluency in English is required. Nordic applicants can document their capabilities by attaching their high school diploma. Desired qualifications​ • Experience with one or several of the following techniques • Single-cell techniques and cellular phenotypic heterogeneity • Production of recombinant proteins • Flow cytometry and cell-sorting • Advanced microscopy and imaging methodologies • Genetic manipulation of bacterial pathogens and/or mammalian cells • Proteomics or Lipidomics • Animal infection models • Working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language is desired. Nordic applicants can document their capabilities by attaching their high school diploma. In the assessment the main emphasis will be attached to the submitted works and the submitted vision statement. Emphasis shall also be attached to experience from popularization/dissemination and academic policy and administrative activity. As teaching duties or equivalent work is attached to the position, emphasis will also be attached to teaching experience and qualifications. During the assessment emphasis will be put on the candidate’s motivation, potential for research, and personal suitability for the position. We are looking for candidates who: • Have good collaboration skills and who can work both independently and in a team • Have good communication and interaction with colleagues and students • Want to contribute to a good working environment At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). Inclusion and diversity  ​ UiT The Arctic University i Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity is a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.   If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.  We offer​ • Involvement in an interesting research project  • Good career opportunities  • A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues   • Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement   • Pension scheme through the state pension fund  Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services. More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility  Application​ Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the information submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you include all necessary documents demonstrating your qualifications for the position. Your application must include: • Application letter • Vision statement for research activities (max 1-2 pages) • CV • Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees) • Documentation of English proficiency (If available) • Contact information to 2-3 references • Documentation of ​educational competence, if available • Description of your academic production, stating which works you consider most important • Academic works, up to ten. The doctoral thesis is regarded as one work. In order to achieve a targeted use of the postdoctoral position, and to strengthen the employee’s career development, a development plan must be available no later than three months after the appointment contract is signed. The development plan must be approved by the immediate leader with personnel responsibility.  ​If you're in the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply for the position, provided that you submit parts of your dissertation along with your application. This enables the evaluation committee to assess the quality and likelihood of completion by the desired employment date. You must include a statement from your supervisor or institution stating the expected completion date for your PhD degree. Documentation of your completed PhD degree must be submitted before commencement. All documentation to be considered must​ be in a Scandinavian language or English. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. Assessment​ The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants.  The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. A trial lecture may also be held. General information​ The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.  The remuneration for Postdoctoral research fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1352 with a gross annual salary ranging from NOK 620.000 to 670.000 (in a 100% position). (In special cases, a higher salary may be considered.) A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits in addition to a lifelong pension. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no. The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole. According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.