The Department of Biomedicine at Faculty of Health at Aarhus University invites applications for two Assistant Professor or Postdoc positions in the field of statistical genetics as per 1 April 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter. The positions are fixed-term full-time positions for 3 years with possibility of extension, potentially entering a tenure track (from Postdoc) or other permanent position (from Assistant Professor).
The department of Biomedicine prioritises diversity and a good work environment, as this is a prerequisite for groundbreaking research. In a dynamic and international research environment, dedicated employees are looking to generate new knowledge within biomedical research areas such as infection and inflammation, membranes, neuroscience and personalised medicine. The Department of Biomedicine provides research-based teaching of the highest quality and is responsible for a large part of the medical degree programme. Academic staff contribute to the teaching. English is the preferred language in the laboratory, at meetings and at seminars. The department employs approx. 500 people from all over the world, and they make use of the department's modern laboratory-, core- and animal facilities. The Department of Biomedicine focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration with business and industry, and numerous researchers from the department have established companies to develop new medicinal treatments founded in strong scientific basic research. You can read more about the department here and about the faculty here. About iPSYCH
iPSYCH (Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research) was launched in 2012 as the largest research initiative ever in Danish psychiatry with the overarching aim to identify causes and disease mechanisms in major mental disorders, including psychiatric genetics as a key theme. Genetic data on more around 140,000 individuals from a nationwide Danish cohort is currently analysed in iPSYCH (including GWAS and whole exome sequencing data). Read more about iPSYCH here and more about Professor Børglum here.
About the research project
In the Børglum Lab we focus on identifying genes that confer risk or resilience to psychiatric disorders, functional characterization of the identified genes and translating the genetic insights to advance precision medicine in psychiatry. The research involves large-scale genomics studies of hundreds of thousands of individuals, analyzing comprehensive multidimensional health and omics data.
The large data sets analyzed include Danish data available via the iPSYCH project and international data primarily via our close collaboration with the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) and other international consortia, including several EU projects. The Danish iPSYCH data include common and rare variant genetic data on a nationwide cohort with around 140,000 individuals (around 90,000 with psychiatric diagnoses), which is linked with comprehensive longitudinal health data registered from birth and onwards, providing unique opportunities for studying the courses and outcomes of mental disorders.
So, if you are excited to work with big data in a dynamic and important research field, develop new approaches for analysis and thrive in an interdisciplinary and international setting, then this may be the job for you.
Your job responsibilities
As Assistant Professor of statistical genetics your primary tasks will be research and research-based teaching, guidance and examination of Bachelor's and Master's degree students, as well as possibly supervision of PhD students. You will contribute to the development of the department through independent research of high international quality, including publication and some degree of contribution towards attracting external research funding. In your daily work, you will work closely with both Danish and international colleagues. The position of Assistant Professor is a career development position in which you will receive supervision and pedagogical upgrading.
As Postdoc in statistical genetics your position is primarily research-based but may also involve teaching assignments. You will contribute to the development of the department through research of high international quality, including publication. In your daily work, you will work closely with colleagues on your project, where you will receive supervision and guidance.
In both position types you will lead and contribute to analyses of psychiatric genetics projects in the forefront of the field. A main focus of your work will be to identify genetic risk and resilience factors and biological mechanisms underlying major psychiatric disorders such as autism, ADHD, schizophrenia and depression. The positions entails analyses of large genetic data from thousands of individuals including sequencing data (mainly whole-exome sequencing) and SNP-array data for genome-wide association studies, as well as extended secondary analyses including integration with functional genomics data from external sources.
The analyses will primarily be conducted at the national high-performance computer cluster GenomeDK at Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine.
During the employment you will have the opportunity to stay for a shorter or longer period at key international collaborators’ labs.
You will report to Professor Anders Børglum.
Your competences
As Assistant Professor you have independent research-related qualifications at a high international level. You are a clear communicator and you have some degree of experience of supervision and teaching at Bachelor’s and Master's degree level. Completed pedagogical courses in supervision or similar will be a plus, as will experience with the establishment of PhD courses and external research collaborations.
International applicants are expected to learn Danish, and Aarhus University arranges Danish teaching.
In order to be assessed as qualified for an Assistant Professor position, you must meet these academic criteria.
In order to be assessed as qualified for a Postdoc position, you must meet these academic criteria.
Both position types:
You have academic qualifications at PhD level, preferably within one or more of the following areas: statistical genetics, population genetics, bioinformatics, epidemiology, statistics, computer science, or similar background.
We expect you to have experience in handling and analyzing large genomic data or other types of comprehensive data.
Perhaps you also have experience with:
- High performance computing
- Programs for analysis of GWAS and genome/exome sequencing data
- Statistical analysis using programming languages like R, Python, or MATLAB
- Analysis of polygenic scores.
- Integrating genetic and functional genomics data like transcriptomic or epigenomic data.
As a person, you have good interpersonal skills, are ambitious, take ownership and are scientifically self-motivated and creative. You can work both independently and in groups.
You possess good communication and interpersonal skills being friendly and helpful and able to contribute to a good work environment.
We expect you to be fluent in oral and written English.
Shortlisting will be used.
Questions about the position
If you have any questions about the position, please contact Project Coordinator Anne Hedemand by email anne@biomed.au.dk or Professor, Center Director, Anders Børglum by email anders@biomed.au.dk.
Your place of work will be the Department of Biomedicine, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, The Skou Building, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
We expect to conduct interviews in week 7 or 8 in 2023.
Terms of employment
- Appointment as an assistant professor and postdoc requires academic qualifications at PhD level.
- Further information on the appointment procedure can be found in the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.
- The appointment is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
- Remuneration is in accordance with the above, and the Salary agreement catalogue for staff at Health.
- The yearly base salary for a fulltime assistant professor or postdoc is between DKK 475.113,77 and DKK 528.595,68 depending on the years of working experience after achieved MSc degree. The base salary includes a position related supplement and pension (17.1 %). Additional supplement(s) for special qualifications can be negotiated. Authorisation supplement(s) will be granted, if relevant for the position. Your local eligible trade union representative at Aarhus University negotiates your salary on your behalf.
- Researchers recruited from abroad are offered a special researcher tax scheme with a lower tax rate.
- Further information on qualification requirements and job description can be found in the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.
Application
Your application must include the following:
- Motivated application
- Curriculum Vitae
- Diploma
- Template for applicant - assistant professor or tenure track assistant professor
- Template for applicant - postdoc
- A list of publications
- A teaching portfolio. We refer to Guideline on the use of teaching portfolios
- A maximum of five of the publications of greatest relevance to the job may be submitted (optional)
- Strategic research plan, which is part of the 'Template to applicant - assistant professor or tenure track assistant professor' can be uploaded separately (optional)
- Coauthor statement(s) can be uploaded (optional)
- References/recommendations can be uploaded separately in the e-recruitment system (optional)
We refer to the faculty’s Guidelines for applicants
The assessment committee may decide to include non-submitted material in its statement. In such cases, you will be informed and obliged to submit material, unless your application is withdrawn.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.
Letter of reference
If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline. Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration. International applicant?
Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here. Aarhus University also has a Junior Researcher Development Programme. You can read more about it here.
The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.
Deadline
12 January 2023
Apply Aarhus University
Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,000 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 885 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/
