08 Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of Helsinki, Finland

The “Vertebrate Evolution, Development and Regeneration” group of Research Director Nicolas Di-Poi at the Institute of Biotechnology investigates a number of questions central to our understanding of craniofacial evolution and development in vertebrates. As an innovative approach, the laboratory takes advantage of squamate reptile models (lizards and snakes) to elucidate the developmental genetic basis of vertebrate craniofacial diversity but also to provide an evolutionary context to developmental disorders. Reptiles represent key emerging model systems in Evo-Devo as they display an exceptional array of life-styles, ecologies, morphologies, and regenerative capacities.

The Laboratory of Structural Biology, headed by the Institute’s Director, Prof. Juha Huiskonen, is seeking a post-doctoral researcher holding a PhD in biochemistry, molecular biology, or in a related field. In addition, the successful candidate will have a proven track record and research excellence in structural biology. Prior experience in membrane protein purification, cryo-EM, and/or tomography will be highly beneficial.

The project is a comprehensive study of how resilient or eco-responsive host-microbiome interactions are to changing environments. Both biotic and abiotic factors can influence the bond between hosts and their associated microbes, and create an imbalance that may be linked to decrease in the host fitness and population dynamics in the field. The postdoc will have access to long-term data and yearly field samples to tackle related to microbiota / microbiome community change through space and time. The tasks of the postdoc will include field work, molecular work, and community analyses, and writing of manuscripts; and the details of the project will be adjusted to fit the research interests of both the PI and the postdoc.

The appointed researcher will work in collaboration with the other members of the research team within the University of Helsinki including Professor Maija Tenkanen, Docent Kristiina Hildén, Docent Maarit Lahtinen and Associate Professor Anne-Maria Pajari. There is an expectation within FORFUN for a mobility period during the researcher’s appointment. This project brings together world-class leaders in the area of forest-based colloidal systems, including the University of British Columbia (Professor Orlando Rojas), Stockholm University (Professor Mika Sipponen) and the German-based company, LignoPure (Dr. Wienke Reynolds).

The University of Helsinki is among the leading multidisciplinary research universities in the world. In addition to its 11 faculties, the University includes several independent institutes, some of which are jointly operated with other universities. Some 35,000 students are currently pursuing an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree at the University of Helsinki. Measured in number of students and teachers, the Faculty of Science at the University of Helsinki is the largest science faculty in Finland. There are some 6,000 students taking a basic degree. Out of them, some 1,000 are postgraduates. There are some 500 international students, and over 200 researchers and teachers from abroad.

The researcher will work together with consortium partners to identify priority biodiversity areas that support the climate resilience of the planned network. You will use spatial conservation optimisation tools, such as Zonation, to infer opportunities for conservation across multiple species, habitats and under different climate and land use scenarios, and carry out research to quantify the uncertainty associated to the drafted plan. Together with researchers from the Finnish Environmental Research Institute (SYKE) you will collect data and carry out analyses that support Finland to plan and meet its biodiversity targets. Five percent of working time will be devoted to teaching and supervision annually.

The Generation AI project investigates children’s rights in the field of artificial intelligence. The research will utilise legal-dogmatic methods to – among other things – problematise the legal requirements of technology and identify the risks of AI for children’s rights from a protection and participation perspective. The legal framework will be compared with children’s attitudes and perceptions of their rights in relation to data use and algorithmic manipulation. The project will provide recommendations to governments, guardians and educators (e.g. schools) on how they can meet their obligations regarding AI and children’s rights.