University of Helsinki, Finland invites online Application for number of Fully Funded PhD Degree at various Departments. We are providing a list of Fully Funded PhD Programs available at University of Helsinki, Finland.
Eligible candidate may Apply as soon as possible.
(01) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: Doctoral Researcher, Cancer Data Science
The advertised project aims to identify regulatory determinants of ovarian cancer progression through regulatory network modeling and analysis. The selected candidate will apply and extend network modeling approaches developed in the Kuijjer group to model patient- and cell type-specific gene regulatory networks using bulk and single-cell ovarian cancer data. These networks will be analyzed to define patient-specific regulatory heterogeneity in primary ovarian cancer, identify regulatory rewiring that drives metastatic progression, characterize the regulatory mechanisms modulated by therapeutic pressure, and assess how these programs relate to therapy response. The project will leverage various publicly available datasets as well as data from the in-house Oncosys-OVA study led by our collaborator Prof. Anniina Färkkilä, University of Helsinki. Overall, the project combines methodological development with biological discovery, offering opportunities to contribute both to computational innovation and to mechanistic insights into ovarian cancer progression.
Deadline : 31.5.2026
(02) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: Doctoral Researcher (MSCA), Generation and tracking of armed rADV with imaging reporter genes
Prof. Vincenzo Cerullo’s lab is seeking a PhD student in engineering and in vivo tracking of armed reporter oncolytic viruses. The selected PhD candidate will obtain degree at the University of Helsinki. The PhD position consists of studies at Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki (UH, Finland) and secondments at consortium partner organisations in Italy and England. The position is funded by the Doctoral Network (DN) project “INTRABRAIN” of the Horizon-Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
The topics of the PhD candidate: The doctoral candidate will focus on engineering advanced recombinant oncolytic adenoviruses (rADVs) for glioblastoma therapy by incorporating therapeutic genes such as IL-12 or IL-2, along with imaging reporter genes to enable real-time tracking of viral activity. Their work will include designing and constructing these viral vectors, as well as validating their infectivity, biodistribution, and imaging performance in preclinical models. Through secondments at University of Naples Federico II, University of Glasgow and University of Rome Tor Vergata, the candidate will gain expertise in glioblastoma imaging in patient-derived models, neurostimulation and advanced imaging technologies such as ultrasound and MRI. Additionally, they will address potential limitations in imaging sensitivity by optimizing detection methods and applying complementary histological approaches to ensure accurate evaluation of viral distribution.
Deadline : 28.5.2026
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(03) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: Doctoral Researcher (MSCA), Generation and optimization of oncolytic viruses for treatment of GBM
Prof. Vincenzo Cerullo’s lab is seeking a PhD student to validate novel recombinant armed oncolytic virus variants as potential therapeutic agents for glioblastoma (GBM). The selected PhD candidate will obtain degree at the University of Helsinki. The PhD position consists of studies at Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki (UH, Finland) and secondments at consortium partner organisations in Italy, Spain and France. The position is funded by the Doctoral Network (DN) project “INTRABRAIN” of the Horizon-Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
The topics of the PhD candidate: The doctoral candidate will focus on developing and validating novel rADV-IL-12 variants as potential therapeutic agents for glioblastoma (GBM). Their work will involve generating recombinant oncolytic adenoviruses, evaluating their efficacy through in vitro and in vivo experiments, and analysing the immune response and antigenic profile of treated tumours. In addition, the candidate will contribute to scaling up the most promising viral constructs from laboratory research to production-ready systems. Through secondments they will gain expertise in intranasal delivery strategies, focused ultrasound technologies for enhancing drug delivery across the blood–brain barrier and nanomaterial integration. The candidate will also address technical challenges related to viral vector design and delivery by applying advanced (bio)nanotechnology-based solutions.
Deadline : 28.5.2026
(04) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: Doctoral Researcher (MSCA), Assessing the Immunological Response of Oncolytic Virus Nanoplatforms
The INTRABRAIN project is an ambitious and highly innovative research and training initiative aimed at revolutionising the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) through next-generation cancer immunotherapy. By integrating cutting-edge nanotechnology, virotherapy and immunology, the project focuses on developing novel therapeutic strategies based on polymeric nanoparticles delivering engineered oncolytic adenoviruses encoding the immune-stimulating cytokines. This approach is designed to overcome major clinical challenges such as the blood–brain barrier and tumour-induced immunosuppression, enabling targeted, efficient and less invasive treatment via intranasal delivery. In parallel, INTRABRAIN fosters the training of a new generation of highly skilled doctoral researchers through interdisciplinary, intersectoral and international collaboration, equipping them with advanced scientific and transferable skills. Overall, the project aims not only to advance groundbreaking therapeutic solutions but also to contribute significantly to the future of personalised cancer medicine and biomedical innovation in Europe.
Deadline : 28.5.2026
(05) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: Doctoral Researcher/Postdoctoral Researcher in Clinical Research for Precision Medicine
The position is part of the SPOCK (Stroke Pharmaco‑Omics Consortium) project, a major European research initiative coordinated by the University of Helsinki and led by Professor Mikko Niemi. The project is funded under the European Partnership for Personalised Medicine (EP PerMed) / Horizon Europe framework and brings together leading academic institutions, healthcare providers, and industrial partners across Europe.
SPOCK aims to advance personalised stroke care by evaluating and implementing genotype‑guided pharmacotherapy for patients with ischaemic non‑cardioembolic stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA). The project addresses a key limitation of current stroke treatment: individual genetic differences can significantly influence the effectiveness and safety of commonly used antiplatelet and statin therapies, yet this variability is not taken into account in routine clinical practice.
Central to the project is a large multicentre, randomised clinical trial enrolling approximately 2,250 patients in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Spain. The trial investigates whether genotype‑guided treatment strategies can reduce recurrent cardiovascular events while minimising adverse drug reactions, compared to standard‑of‑care treatment. In addition, the project includes biomarker discovery, methodological development, and harmonisation of pharmacogenomic data reporting and integration into electronic health record systems.
Mikko Niemi’s research group at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of clinical pharmacology, pharmacogenomics, statistics, and data science, with a strong translational focus. The group works closely with clinical collaborators and international partners to generate high‑quality, practice‑changing evidence aimed at accelerating the adoption of personalised medicine in real‑world healthcare.
Deadline : 22.05.2026
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(06) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: Doctoral/Postdoctoral Researcher in Statistical and Computational Methods for Precision Medicine
The position is part of the SPOCK (Stroke Pharmaco‑Omics Consortium) project, a major European research initiative coordinated by the University of Helsinki and led by Professor Mikko Niemi. The project is funded under the European Partnership for Personalised Medicine (EP PerMed) / Horizon Europe framework and brings together leading academic institutions, healthcare providers, and industrial partners across Europe.
SPOCK aims to advance personalised stroke care by evaluating and implementing genotype‑guided pharmacotherapy for patients with ischaemic non‑cardioembolic stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA). The project addresses a key limitation of current stroke treatment: individual genetic differences can significantly influence the effectiveness and safety of commonly used antiplatelet and statin therapies, yet this variability is not taken into account in routine clinical practice.
Central to the project is a large multicentre, randomised clinical trial enrolling approximately 2,250 patients in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Spain. The trial investigates whether genotype‑guided treatment strategies can reduce recurrent cardiovascular events while minimising adverse drug reactions, compared to standard‑of‑care treatment. In addition, the project includes biomarker discovery, methodological development, and harmonisation of pharmacogenomic data reporting and integration into electronic health record systems.
Deadline : 22.05.2026
(07) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: Doctoral Researcher in Disease Ecology / Spatial Ecology / Eco‑Epidemiology
The PhD project is part of CLIMFOCI, a multidisciplinary research project investigating why tick‑borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) occurs only in highly localized foci in boreal environments. The core idea is that TBEV persistence requires a rare “perfect storm” of climatic, ecological, and host–vector conditions, operating across spatial scales.
Deadline : 20.05.2026
About The University of Helsinki, Finland – Official Website
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but founded in the city of Turku (in Swedish Åbo) in 1640 as the Royal Academy of Åbo, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available. In 2018, around 31,200 students were enrolled in the degree programs of the university spread across 11 faculties and 11 research institutes.
As of 1 August 2005, the university complies with the harmonized structure of the Europe-wide Bologna Process and offers bachelor, master, licenciate, and doctoral degrees. Admission to degree programmes is usually determined by entrance examinations, in the case of bachelor’s degrees, and by prior degree results, in the case of master and postgraduate degrees. Entrance is particularly selective (circa 15% of the yearly applicants are admitted). It has been ranked a top 100 university in the world according to the 2016 ARWU, QS and THE rankings.
The university is bilingual, with teaching by law provided both in Finnish and Swedish. Since Swedish, albeit an official language of Finland, is a minority language, Finnish is by far the dominating language at the university. Teaching in English is extensive throughout the university at master, licentiate, and doctoral levels, making it a de facto third language of instruction.
Remaining true to its traditionally strong Humboldtian ethos, the University of Helsinki places heavy emphasis on high-quality teaching and research of a top international standard. It is a member of various prominent international university networks, such as Europaeum, UNICA, the Utrecht Network, and is a founding member of the League of European Research Universities.
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