Join us in our mission to find new ways of protecting neurons from neurodegeneration!

About the position We are looking for a highly motivated researcher to join our team at the Department of Microbiology, at the Institute of Clinical Medicine at the University of Oslo. The position will be associated with the young research group “Mitonuclear DNA Maintenance and Transcriptional Control“ and will be working on the Research Council of Norway funded research project “MIND: Mitochondria-Initiated Neuronal Defense against Parkinson’s Disease”. The position is for 2 years, from 1st of January 2027. Start date is negotiable.

More about the position This position offers a unique opportunity to help uncover how DNA repair and mitochondrial transcription shape neuronal resilience in Parkinson’s disease. You will be the main experimental researcher of Work Package 2, where we develop and apply a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) based model of midbrain dopaminergic neurons and midbrain organoids. Using patient-derived iPSCs carrying an alpha-synuclein (SNCA) triplication and isogenic controls, you will investigate how loss of DNA repair enzymes alters mitochondrial transcription, alpha-syn aggregation, and neuronal survival. The project explores a new idea in Parkinson’s disease (PD): that certain types of DNA repair deficiency can activate protective mitochondrial and transcriptional responses in neurons, rather than only causing damage. We focus on the DNA base excision repair (BER) enzymes and how their loss affects mitochondrial function, α-synuclein aggregation, and survival of dopaminergic neurons. You will be employed at the Department of Microbiology, which is jointly affiliated with the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital. The institute hosts a strong but very social environment, with access to advanced core facilities. The research section in the department has 15 research groups and 6 project groups (https://www.ous-research.no/microbiology/) working in various fields, including brain cancer, microbiology, epigenetics causes of disease, as well as groups focusing on bioinformatics. The department will be located in the new life science building from January 2027 located near Forskningsparken with easy access by public transport (metro, tram, and bus), bicycle routes. You will work in an international, interdisciplinary environment with close collaboration across research groups in Oslo and with our partners at the University of Edinburgh.

Why we are seeking a researcher Parkinson’s disease is one of the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorders worldwide, yet current treatments are not disease-modifying. The MIND project challenges the traditional view that mitochondrial DNA damage is purely detrimental and explores how specific DNA repair defects may activate protective transcriptional programs in neurons. We are seeking a researcher who can take a leading experimental role in WP2: to establish and characterize our human iPSC-derived midbrain dopaminergic neuron model and to dissect how DNA repair-dependent changes in mitochondrial and nuclear transcription contribute to neuroprotection against alpha-syn–induced stress. You will work closely with the principal investigator Dr. Nicola Pietro Montaldo, Prof. Hilde Loge Nilsen (UiO/OUH), and Prof. Tilo Kunath (University of Edinburgh). If you are excited by the idea of discovering new neuronal self-defense programs, reshaping how we think about DNA repair and mitochondrial stress in Parkinson’s disease, and contributing to future therapeutic strategies, we encourage you to apply.

Your main tasks will be Culture of iPSCs and Dopaminergic neurons:

• Establish differentiation protocol for human neuronal cultures • Differentiate cryopreserved human iPSC into mature dopaminergic neurons (up to ~day 45) • Differentiate cryopreserved human iPSC-derived midbrain progenitors into mature dopaminergic neurons (up to ~day 45) • Validate neuronal identity and midbrain/dopaminergic markers using immunocytochemistry and RT-qPCR Model Parkinson’s disease in vitro:

• Work with a defined panel of iPSC lines: A patient line with SNCA (α-synuclein) triplication (high α-syn levels and aggregation) Isogenic SNCA-corrected controls (reduced or no α-syn expression).Lines with BER knockout on the SNCA triplication background • Measure α-syn and phospho-α-syn (pSer129) levels and aggregation (Western blot, ELISA, immunofluorescence) • Use seed amplification assays to investigate spreading of misfolded α-syn species • Assess mitochondrial function and stress responses • Measure mitochondrial respiration (OCR), ATP production and responses to mitochondrial stressors such as MPP+ • Analyze mitochondrial DNA integrity and basic nuclear DNA damage responses • Contribute to transcriptional and data-driven analyses • Prepare samples for RNA-seq and other omics readouts • Work with the PI and collaborators on basic analysis and interpretation of differential gene expression and pathway changes. Functional readouts of neuronal health:

• Use microelectrode array (MEA) recordings (Maestro Pro Platform) to monitor neuronal network activity and relate this to α-syn load and mitochondrial status. What you will gain:

• •Hands-on experience with human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons and state-of-the-art PD models
• •Training in mitochondrial biology, DNA repair, and transcriptional regulation in neurons
• •Access to advanced infrastructure (imaging, MEA, sequencing, high-performance computing)
• •Close collaboration with leading groups in DNA repair (Nilsen), PD/iPSC modeling (Kunath), and a growing national BER network (BER Norway)
• •Opportunities to co-author publications and present your work at national and international meetings.

What skills are important in this role? Required qualifications:

• A PhD (or equivalent) in molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, neuroscience, biotechnology, or a closely related field • Documented experience with mammalian cell culture and standard sterile techniques, including primary cells, neuronal progenitor cells, and/or 3D/organoid cultures • Solid competence in core molecular and cell biology methods, such as: DNA / RNA extraction, PCR / qPCR / RT-qPCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry / immunocytochemistry / immunofluorescence with associated fluorescence microscopy • Experience with multicolor flow cytometry and functional cellular or immune assays • Hands-on experience preparing high-quality samples for next-generation sequencing (NGS), ideally including single-cell or single-nucleus RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq / snRNA-seq) from complex tissues, together with standard quality-control metrics (e.g. Qubit, TapeStation) • Experience coordinating wet-lab work with bioinformatics and sequencing core facilities, and developing, optimizing, and documenting laboratory workflows • Experience with human iPSC-derived models, midbrain organoids, and/or neuronal differentiation (dopaminergic or other CNS lineages preferred • Good understanding of experimental design, protocol development and optimization, data documentation, reproducibility, and basic statistical analysis • Good written and oral communication skills in English • Ability to work independently at the bench while coordinating effectively with principal investigators, bioinformaticians, core facilities, and collaborators. Desired qualifications: It is an advantage if you have one or more of the following:

• •Background in DNA repair, transcription, or chromatin biology
• •Experience supervising or training junior researchers or students
• •Experience with neurodegeneration models, especially:
• •Parkinson’s disease
• •α-synuclein biology (expression, aggregation, or toxicity assays)
• •Experience with mitochondrial biology, e.g.:
• •Measuring oxygen consumption rate (OCR) or related metabolic assays
• •Working with mitochondrial toxins
• •Familiarity with bioinformatics / scripting (R, Python, or similar)
• •Microelectrode array (MEA) or other electrophysiological recordings (an advantage, not a r