Postdoctoral fellow - Altered metabolism in type 2 diabetes and its complications – metabolite profiling and metabolic imaging using correlative NMR, MS and HP-MR techniques

Description of the Workplace

You will be based at the Faculty of Medicine in Lund. The Unit for Diabetes and Brain Function is located at the Biomedical Centre (BMC) at Lund University and is led by Dr. Joao Duarte.

You will have access to state-of-the-art facilities across the faculties of medicine, science, and engineering, as well as access to the national infrastructures required for the project.

Project Description

AMBER Project Overview

This project is part of the EU co-funded research initiative AMBER, Advanced Multiscale Biological Imaging using European Research Infrastructures, which aims to address scientific and sectoral gaps in biological imaging from molecular, cellular, and tissue levels to organ and organism levels of organisation. The programme is coordinated by LINXS, Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science.

AMBER is funded by the EU’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) COFUND programme. Approximately 14 postdoctoral fellows will be recruited in this first call, and each appointment lasts 36 months.

AMBER has six core partners: Lund University/MAX IV (Sweden), the European Spallation Source (ESS, Sweden), the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL, France), the International Institute of Molecular Mechanisms and Machines (IMOL, Poland), and the Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology (United Kingdom).

Your work will include clinical and biomedical research projects. It will also involve methodological development aimed at combining imaging techniques and data analysis to provide a more integrated understanding of life processes in the context of health and disease. As a postdoctoral researcher in the AMBER programme, you will benefit from exceptional medical, biological, and methodological capabilities, with significant potential impact on Europe’s next generation of research and researchers. Upon completing the AMBER programme, you will be exceptionally well equipped to continue your career in academia, at research infrastructures, in the health and MedTech sectors, or beyond.

For more information about all available postdoctoral positions within the AMBER co-fund programme, visit EURAXESS.

Interviews will begin in April. For further information about AMBER, the application process, and evaluation criteria, visit: www.ambercofund.eu

Project Description within the Research Group

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to participate in studies of metabolic biomarkers and metabolomics in cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS) methodologies. The Duarte and Mellander groups apply NMR and MS techniques to study metabolism in the context of diabetes and dementia. The Denisov group focuses on NMR/MRI technologies and their development using new hyperpolarisation methods. The groups have access to cutting-edge NMR and MS facilities in Lund, including the Lund NMR Centre and the national infrastructure SwedNMR.

Work Duties

The tasks include implementing and developing methodologies for integrating state-of-the-art NMR and MS metabolomics analyses in biological samples, contributing to the development of hyperpolarisation-NMR metabolomics, and participating in research projects focused on metabolic imaging. The work is based on translational research efforts from the involved laboratories and includes both preclinical and clinical projects as well as technology development aimed at integrating various experimental approaches in metabolomics.

The position entails overall responsibility for sample preparation, execution of experiments, data analysis, interpretation and integration of results, and reporting, including publishing research findings and presenting at conferences. While the primary focus of the postdoctoral role is to conduct research, tasks may also include lab management and teaching duties, although these will not exceed one-fifth of the working time. Opportunities for pedagogical training are available during the position.

You are expected to conduct professional research and:

• Take responsibility for your own skill and career development,

• Stay updated on scientific and technical developments in the field through literature and regular seminars,

• Contribute to the maintenance of the lab (equipment, supplies, reagents, biobanks, and other resources),

• Meet deadlines and manage time efficiently,

• Read and promptly respond to communication from supervisors and team members,

• Prepare for and actively participate in lab and research environment activities (lab meetings, seminars, workshops, retreats).

Qualifications and Evaluation Criteria

Minimum Requirements for the Project:

• You must have no more than 8 years of work experience after earning your PhD, as required by the Horizon-Europe MSCA cofund project Grant Agreement.

• At least one original publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

• Background in relevant methods.

• A complete application submitted through the AMBER portal (including CV and a detailed research plan).

• Strict compliance with the MSCA mobility rule: you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host organisation’s country for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the application deadline.

Additional Requirements:

• Strong knowledge of NMR and MS metabolomics;

• Strong communication and writing skills in English;

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team;

• Excellent research potential (formulating and solving scientific problems);

• Ability to maintain traceable research documentation (documenting hypotheses, experiments, and data analysis).

Merits

Demonstrated experience and competence beyond basic understanding of the techniques mentioned above.

Assessment Criteria

This is a career development position with a focus on research. The appointment is intended as an initial step in your academic career. The assessment of candidates will primarily be based on their scientific merit and potential as researchers.

In the recruitment of a postdoc, the following will be assessed:

• Proven ability to develop and conduct high-quality research

• Independent thinking and ability to lead research in the area

• Good collaboration skills

Instructions on How to Apply

More information can be found at www.ambercofund.eu

If you are interested in applying for more than one position (maximum of 3), you must submit a complete application for each individual position.

Additional Documents to Include in the Application PDF:

iii) Letter of Commitment from any additional secondment partners

iv) Proof of English proficiency (minimum CEFR B2, also evaluated during the interview)

v) A draft Individual Career Development Plan (ICDP)

vi) Two reference letters

vii) Any other supporting documents

viii) Ethical questionnaire (HE ethics checklist + research ethics commitment)

Additionally, your application must include:

ix) A list with your ranking of up to three positions, to be sent to the AMBER management at: amber@linxs.se

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