Research Assistant position in pluripotent stem cell biology at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW)

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW) at University of Copenhagen is looking for a research assistant to join the Human Kidney Organoid group led by PI Melissa Little. The position is scheduled to commence on the 1 September 2024 or upon agreement with the chosen candidate.

Research group
The Human Kidney Organoid research team is located at The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW) at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences of University of Copenhagen. Our group models the human kidney by generating kidney organoids from induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs). Our work builds on the seminal kidney organoid protocol our group published in Nature in 2015, with the aim to optimize organoids to generate the best quality tissues with capacity for drug screening, toxicology and potential therapeutics.

We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and highly international research environment. Our team at University of Copenhagen is a small unit of 4-6 members, with a strong link to the kidney regeneration group in Melbourne also led by Prof. Little. Our labs are located in a newly established Center for stem cell medicine (reNEW), placed in modernized research facilities and include state-of-the-art laboratories, pleasant office facilities and access to high-quality core facilities in transcriptomics, imaging, flow cytometry and proteomics. Our team prioritizes a highly collaborative and positive working environment.

You can read more about the team here.

Job description
We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with an educational background BSc with an MSc to be responsible for research projects with a main focus on pluripotent cell culture and molecular biology techniques.

The main work tasks will be:

• Experimental planning design and recordkeeping
• Data analysis, presentation and assistance in publication
• Performing stem cell culture maintenance
• RNA extraction and cDNA preparation and running high throughput qRT-PCR analysis
• Immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy of whole-mount organoid tissues
• Responsibility for organisation of the cell lab, keeping track of orders, inventory, deliveries etc.

We are looking for an interactive and highly organized research assistant with the following qualifications :

Mandatory requirements:

• An education as BSc or MSc
• Hands-on experience with human pluripotent stem cell culture, including maintenance and expansion.
• Ability to plan and execute laboratory work independently as prioritized by the manager
• Must be comfortable in communicating in English with team members
• Experience in qRT-PCR, Immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy

It is expected that you as the candidate will have a collaborative spirit and that you will contribute actively to a pleasant work environment within the group. A strong track record with evidence of contribution to productive publication and positive reviews from previous supervisors, collaborators or mentors will also weigh strongly in the assessment.

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the ReNEW, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment.

Terms of salary, work, and employment:
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 1 year. The start date is 1 September 2024 or after agreement.

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.

Application procedure
Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:

• Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
• CV incl. education, experience from previous research projects, previous employments, technical skills, language skills and other skills relevant for the position or alternatively the inclusion of two reference letters.
• 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
• 4. Publication list (if possible)

Application deadline: 21 July 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.

The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.

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 find information about the recruitment process at: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

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

Contact information:
For questions about the project and group, please contact the principal supervisor:

Professor Melissa little, [email protected] Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 København.

We want to reflect the surrounding society and encourage all qualified persons, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.

Københavns Universitet giver sine knap 10.000 medarbejdere muligheder for at udnytte deres talent fuldt ud i et ambitiøst, uformelt miljø. Vi sikrer traditionsrige og moderne rammer om uddannelser og fri forskning på højt internationalt niveau. Vi søger svar og løsninger på fælles problemer og gør ny viden tilgængelig og nyttig for andre.

Info
Ansøgningsfrist: 21-07-2024

Ansættelsesdato: 01-09-2024

Arbejdstid: Fuldtid

Afdeling/Sted: reNEW NNF Center for Stem Cell Medicine