The position

The Department of Physics and Technology is thrilled to announce a vacant position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow in On-Chip Bioimaging and Biophysical Analysis of Patient-Derived Cancer Cells at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Science and Technology. The position is connected to the research project PANCHIP funded by Helse Nord.

The position is a fixed term position for a duration of 3 years. 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.

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.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

About the project

The PANCHIP project aims to develop and study patient-derived pancreatic cancer models using advanced in vitro and tumor-on-chip platforms. The project integrates clinical samples, primary cell biology, molecular perturbations, and quantitative imaging to study cancer cell plasticity and motility.

Key Responsibilities: The candidate will participate in research towards the following key project work:

Handling and processing clinical pancreatic tumor biopsies (PDAC)
Isolation, selection, and expansion of primary PDAC tumor cells
Separation and characterization of stromal cell populations, including fibroblasts
Establishment, maintenance, and long-term culture of patient-derived tumor cells
(Desirable) Immortalization of primary cancer cells
Genetic and molecular manipulation of cancer cells for functional studies
Integration of primary cells into tumor-on-chip / advanced in vitro models
Microscopy-based analysis, including live-cell or high-content imaging
Documentation, data analysis, and contribution to publications and grant activities

About the workplace

UiT the Arctic University of Norway with its main campus located in the quaint little city of Tromsø is the northernmost university in the world. The Department of Physics and Technology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, is at the main campus of UiT. The department has experienced a great surge in research, thanks to a constant flow of Horizon2020 funding through ERC and MSCA-IF projects and funding from the Research Council of Norway (RCN) through diverse projects.

The Department of Physics and Technology consists of six research groups: Earth Observation, Renewable Energy, Machine Learning, Complex Systems Modelling, Space Physics, and Photonics.The photnoics group is higly inter-disciplinary bringing in exprertise in microscopy, biophysics, and advanced material fabrication. This particular position is in the sub-photonics group- Translational Biophysics led by Biswajoy Ghosh. The group consists of about 8-12 members at a given time. There is a constant flow of international visiting experts, and collaborations with the health faculty at UiT, the University hospital UNN, and multi-center collaborations with hospitals, biobanks across Europe. The group members represent various disciplines like microscopy, material science, fabrication, biology, software, computation, instrumentation, etc. There is an emphasis on gender equality, cultural integration, conducive work environment excellence through cooperation and co-enabling, and support of growth and ambition of everyone in the group.

We offer an interesting position funded by Helse Nord that offers scientific independence, good remuneration, great potential of growth, and a fantastic work environment within the stunning landscape of Tromsø.

Qualifications

This position requires:

a Norwegian doctoral degree within a field relevant for the research theme of the position (i.e., biology, biophysics, bioengineering, computation, physics, statistics, mathematics, material science, or environmental science), or a corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognised as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree.
fluency in English and good communication skills.

Qualification with a PhD is required before commencement in the position. If you’re at the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply if you have submitted your PhD thesis for doctoral degree evaluation within the application deadline. You must submit the thesis with your application. You must have completed your defense before the start-up date of the position.

We are looking for a strongly motivated person who has:

PhD in cancer biology, molecular biology, biomedical sciences, or a related field
Proven experience working with clinical tumor samples
Strong background in solid tumor research, preferably pancreatic cancer
Demonstrated expertise in primary cell isolation and culture
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment

Desirable Qualifications:

Experience with molecular biology and genetic manipulation (e.g., transfection, viral systems, CRISPR/siRNA)
Experience with tumor-on-chip systems or advanced 3D culture models
Background in optical microscopy, live-cell imaging, or high-content microscopy
Interest in cancer cell plasticity, migration, and mechanobiology
A working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language

The assessment will be based on the submitted application and the interview. During the assessment, emphasis will be put on the candidate’s motivation, potential for research, capability to conduct the project activities, and personal suitability for the position.

In the assessment the main emphasis will be attached to the submitted works and the project proposal for the qualifying work. Emphasis shall also be attached to experience from popularization/dissemination and academic policy and administrative activity.

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

We offer the chance to work in a leading cancer biophysics area which provides an academic and innovation environment. We provide an opportunity to work in close collaboration with clinicians at UNN Hospital.
Involvement in an interesting research project with an international, interdisciplinary research environment, and good career opportunities
Access to state-of-the-art laboratories and imaging facilities.
Fantastic work environment and good remuneration within the stunning landscape of Tromsø.
Good arrangements for pension, insurance, and loans in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
If you have to relocate to Tromsø, then the Faculty of Science and Technology may reimburse your moving costs. Further details regarding this matter will be made available if you receive an offer from us.

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:

Project proposal (max 2 pages). You must submit a project proposal that describes how you scientifically can contribute to the project. The proposal must include a progress plan.
Description of your past research project(s) and its relevance to the advertised position (max 2 pages)
CV
Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees)
Contact information to 2-3 references
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.
PhD Thesis
If you have: Documentation of proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish

If you’re at the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply if you have submitted your PhD thesis for doctoral degree evaluation within the application deadline. You must submit the thesis with your application. Documentation of your completed PhD degree must be submitted before commencement.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English.

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 engagement is to be made in accordance with the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The position is remunerated in accordance with the Norwegian State Salary Scale code 1352, with a gross annual salary of NOK 640 000. In special cases, a higher salary may be granted.

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: You may be entitled to financial support if you become ill or disabled, your family may be entitled to financial support when you die, you become insured against occupational injury or occupational disease, and you can get good terms on a mortgage. 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.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the area of Pancreatic Cancer Biophysics