12 Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of Helsinki, Finland

Human tumors are characterized by recurrent mutations in the well-defined cancer driver genes, but also non-mutational epigenetic reprogramming and phenotypic plasticity controlled by transcription factors (TF) are important contributors to tumorigenesis. Extensive consortium efforts have mapped the mutational and epigenetic landscapes of human cancers. However, the commonly used epigenomics methods such as ChIP-seq are correlative in nature and report a lot of spurious sites that might not be linked to gene expression, highlighting the need for novel innovative approaches to understand cancer genome and epigenome. Here, we will utilize cutting-edge long-read nanopore sequencing combined with deep machine learning approaches to model the epigenetic changes and mutational mechanisms in cancers originating from endodermal tissues. The goal is to reveal novel mechanistic details about the development of human cancer.

The Vital infrastructures and Urban Residential Politics project studies solutions that arise from the needs and aspirations of urban inhabitants in precarious circumstances.

How do these ‘vital infrastructures’ interact with other forces and materials that participate in city-making? What social, transactional, experiential, and political patterns do such practices generate and what effects do they have on the making of urban space and its everyday governance?

Vaahtomeri lab is a dynamic young research group composed of cell biologists, biochemists, and developmental biologists. We investigate how cell migration is guided, i.e. how guidance cues are created, and how cells exchange information, such as antigens. In these studies, we use lymphatics as a model system, since lymphatic vessel growth and leukocyte homing to lymph nodes present plenty of opportunities to manipulate and image migrating cells and dynamic cell-cell interactions. Accordingly, much of our research is based on high-end microscopy, especially live imaging of tissue explant and primary cell cultures, and the associated image analysis.

Currently, the lymphatic system is considered one of the most promising targets to manipulate the level of adaptive immunity in inflammation-associated diseases, such as cancer. Thus, our studies on antigen-presenting dendritic cell guidance to the lymphatic system and mechanisms of efficient lymphatic vessel tissue coverage will form bases for translational studies aimed at boosting adaptive immunity.

We are looking for collegial, ambitious, and forward-thinking scientists with a passion for research to join our friendly team. A background in neurobiology, molecular cell biology, microscopy, biochemistry, structural biology, or bioinformatics is desirable. Postdocs are also encouraged to develop their own research lines.

Applicants for the PhD student position must successfully obtain the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki within the first 6 months of employment. Postdoc applicants must hold a doctoral degree by the start date of the appointment.

We are located at one of the leading Nordic life science institutes, the Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), and provide an international and stimulating work environment that offers unique opportunities for conducting cutting-edge science, establishing collaborations, and accessing excellent core facilities and benefits, including occupational health care, unemployment and pension fund, a generous holiday package, and sports facilities. Depending on qualifications, the full-time positions are offered for up to 3 years with a possibility for extension. The starting time is negotiable. The positions come with a competitive salary and benefits in accordance with the University of Helsinki regulations. A six-month trial period will be applied.

Symbiotic bacterial communities can play an important role for the health of the hosts that they associated with. Many insects harbour beneficial gut microbiotas involved in resistance against disease. Furthermore, both biotic and abiotic factors can influence the bond between hosts and their associated microbes, and create an imbalance that may be linked to a decrease in the fitness of the host organism, and their population dynamics. This comprehensive project focuses on how resilient bacterial communities associated with bumblebees are to pathogen infections. The selected candidate (postdoc level) will test the effect of pathogens on the species composition of the microbiota of bumblebees in the laboratory, and test for the beneficial effects of diverse bacterial species in maintainaing microbiota and host health. Tasks will include insect rearing in laboratory conditions, molecular work, microbiota analyses, and writing of manuscripts. The specific details of the project will be adjusted to fit the research interests of both the PI and the postdoc.

For this position, experience with conducting experimental assays with animals and in completing analyses of meta-barcoding or metagenomic data is required. Additional skills in analyses of RNAseq data and behavioral data, and in conducting outreach are meriting but not strictly mandatory. Candidates with degrees in Evolutionary Biology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology or similar, with experience in the above-mentioned research area are strongly encouraged to apply.

The position is available in the ISEE research group of Dr. Anne DUPLOUY, starting as soon as possible, but no later than June 2024. The ISEE research group is part of the Organismal and Evolutionary Biology research program (OEB) within the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences in the Viikki Science park.  The faculty hosts over 40 leading research groups in Plant and Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Genetics, among others. This community interacts on a regular basis through seminars. The University of Helsinki provides office space, computers, bench in a State-of-the-art molecular laboratory, as well as data storage space with regular automatic backups. The campus offers various key facilities, including green houses and climate chambers for insect and plant rearing, laboratories furnished with state-of-the-art molecular equipment, genome sequencing and microscopy facilities. Computational resources from CSC are available. The project is in collaboration with Prof Johan EKROOS from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry at the University of Helsinki. International collaborations with colleagues from Montpellier, Graz and Warwick Universities are possible within the scope of the project.

Our research group, funded by the ERC and the RCF, investigates microbial ecology in the human gut using an interdisciplinary approach, combining culture-based microbiology and modern multiomics with bioinformatics and analytical methods from population ecology. The position of postdoctoral researcher involves mathematical and statistical modelling of microbial genomic and metagenomic data as well as microbial population time series data.

The main aim of this postdoc project is to investigate the potential links between functional diversity of plant communities and the resilience and stability of ecosystem functioning under environmental changes. In the NorEcoFun group (https://www.helsinki.fi/northern-biodiversity-and-ecosystem-functioning), funded by the Research Council of Finland, we investigate changes in both biotic and abiotic environment, such as herbivory, plant-fungal interactions, warming and eutrophication. We use a wide range of methods to address these questions, including field experiments in boreal forest and tundra, greenhouse mesocosm experiments, and large-scale analyses of long-term observations. We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to strengthen our team with strong skills in ecological modelling of both observational and experimental data, OR in experimental trait-based ecology especially using mesocosm setups. The project offers the opportunity to use the established research setups within NorEcoFun, including readily available datasets and openness to develop the candidate’s ideas for further studies. As supportive working environment is important for our team, we are looking for a skilled researcher, who values collaborative work, developing and sharing skills, and contributing to advancing common goals in the team.

The projects will be housed at the University of Helsinki Viikki campus in the group of Prof. Johanna Mappes within the Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program.  https://predatorpreyinteractions.com/  We seek a highly motivated individual with a strong background in behavioral ecology, ecology, and/or evolutionary ecology.

A postdoctoral position around tumor microenvironment and spatial omics analysis is now open in Anniina Färkkilä’s lab (www.farkkilab.org), located at Biomedicum, University of Helsinki, Finland. The lab is part of the Research Program for Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, and FIMM, Helsinki Institute for Life Sciences.

 

The overall goal is to discover how the tumor cells evade the immune system in ovarian cancer, with prospects of leading to major scientific breakthroughs and successful translation of the findings into clinical trials. We have collected a unique dataset from more than 500 patients in the prospective Oncosys-OVA study. This dataset includes multi-omics, multi-site spatial profiling data, along with whole exome- and RNA-sequencing, highly multiplexed imaging, and curated clinical data. Our multidisciplinary team has also developed experimental and functional models to validate findings emerging from the data, generating a unique environment to drive translational scientific discoveries with high clinical relevance. We have demonstrated optimizing and clinically implementing a genetic biomarker for ovarian cancer patients, that is currently used for centralized national testing in Finland (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36581696/).

 

Our lab received a prestigious ERC grant in 2022 and has received steady funding from e.g. the Research Council of Finland, Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, and the Cancer Foundation Finland. We also actively collaborate with esteemed research institutes globally, including Harvard Medical School and Netherlands Cancer Institute.

We are seeking for three postdoctoral researchers for a fixed term of 2 years (one position with funding secured for 1 year) with a possibility of continuation and with start in early February 2025 or at earliest convenience. The researchers will study and model population dynamics, pathogen transmission and disease risk across land use and habitat systems as a function of environmental factors including biodiversity by combining local and global datasets. If not focussing on statistical or dynamic modelling, you will contribute to collect data in the case study areas and/or experimental field sites and/or laboratory experiments. You will analyse the data along with global datasets to infer on the role of biodiversity, biodiversity recovery, and biodiversity processes for diluting disease risk.