PhD within cancer research focusing on oxygen-sensitive stem cells - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The research group

The section of translational cancer research and the laboratory of Emma Hammarlund is looking to hire a PhD student that will work in tight collaboration with the Mohlin group at the Department of Clinical Sciences at Lund University (LU), the Guiu group at P-CMRC/IDIBELL, and other researchers at the Biomedical Center at LU. The Hammarlund group explores the rise of multicellularity on Earth and within the human body. A particular focus is the evolution of stemness control over animal evolution, and its relationship to environmental oxygen. We take a multidisciplinary, integrative approach to perform high quality translational research with collaborative partners world-wide. Read more about the research group and about joint activities within the Tissue Development and Evolution (TiDE) network.

Within the research group, we safeguard a workplace that is seen as developing and stimulating for all employees.

We are hereby looking for a driven doctoral student to work on how animals are able – and got able – to renew their tissues via oxygen-sensitive stem cells. The employment is limited to 4 years full time with the desired entry date of October 1, 2022 or by arrangement.

Work duties and areas of responsibility
The aim of the PhD-project is to look closer at the paradox that animals have hypoxia-driven tissue renewal for a life in oxic environments. The project will specifically test if cell stemness and tissue renewal at oxic conditions differ between invertebrate and vertebrate animals. The work will involve characterizing the role of hypoxia and pseudohypoxia for adult stem cell pools in invertebrates and vertebrates.

The PhD student will work with practical wet lab experiments as well as theoretical scholarship. Practical parts in the lab include hands-on chick embryo work as well as other animal models such as Drosophila, organoids, and mice. Additional techniques that will be used are cryosectioning, immunohistochemistry, cell culture, cell sorting, oxygen sensing, RNA/DNA preparations, cloning and single cell RNA sequencing.

The candidate will lead projects together with the PI and at with other members of the group. Work tasks include presenting their work, participate in seminars, write scientific articles and collaborate with other scientists. Other existing tasks within the research group may also be relevant.

Qualifications
The following is required for the employment:

• A Master’s degree in Biomedicine or equivalent.
• Documented experience with immunohistochemistry.
• Documented experience with fluorescence imaging.
• Documented experience in basic cell biology.
• Documented experience with cryosectioning.
• Wet lab experience, including cloning.
• Experience with cell culture work (cell lines and primary cultures).

Great emphasis will be placed on personal characteristics. The assignments require that you have the ability to work independently as well as the ability to work well with others in the research group and researchers outside the subject area. In addition, the tasks require the ability to prioritize their tasks and have several collaborations going at the same time.

The following is meritorious for the employment:

• Experience with animal models and animal work, such as mice, Drosophila, or chick.
• Experience in image analysis.
• Excellent in written and spoken English.
• Experience to present their science in international conferences.

Eligibility
Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who have completed a second-cycle degree have completed courses of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses, or have acquired largely equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment to a doctoral studentship is made, the ability of the student to benefit from PhD-studies shall primarily be taken into account. In addition to devoting themselves to their studies, those appointed to doctoral studentships may be required to work with educational tasks, research and administration, in accordance with specific regulations in the ordinance.

Type of employment
Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.

Instructions for the application
The application shall contain a personal letter describing how you fulfill the required qualifications, a CV and a diploma.