PhD position in epigenetics at the K.G Jebsen Centre of Obesity Research (CORA)

About the position Applications are invited for a 3-year position as PhD student in epigenetics and obesity research at the newly established K.G Jebsen Centre of Obesity ReseArch (CORA). The position will be affiliated to Yvonne Böttcher’s research group at the Department of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen) at Institute of Clinical Medicine, UiO, physically located at Campus Ahus (Akershus University Hospital). The project aims at investigating molecular mechanisms underlying weight regain and long-term weight loss maintenance using advanced molecular biology techniques. In particular, the project will investigate amongst others the concept of epigenetic memory of obesity in humans and closely collaborate with clinical environments involved in treatment of obesity The applicant will be involved in tasks related to epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanisms potentially being implicated in the regulation of human body weight and adipose tissue biology in general. The PhD project aims at investigating molecular mechanisms underlying weight regain and maintenance using advanced molecular biology techniques.

Project description Obesity is a growing health problem worldwide. Metabolic surgery or use of GLP-1R analoga are efficient methods to induce significant weight loss in individuals with obesity. However, many individuals struggle to maintain healthier body weight and often suffer from regain weight after treatment. The newly established K.G. Jebsen Center for obesity research (CORA), lead by Prof. Yvonne Böttcher, aims to understand the biological mechanisms underlying weight regain and obesity relapse, identify individuals at risk, and develop strategies for sustained weight loss and long-term weight maintenance. Yvonne Böttcher’ s research group (https://functionalgeneticsofobesity.wordpress.com/) is investigating the role of epigenetic mechanisms in obesity, the molecular mechanisms imposed by DNA, RNA and histone modifications and their potential interplay with genetic risk variants. In CORA, the group will also focus, amongst others, on the role of epigenetic memory in adipose tissue after weight loss. The project aims at investigating mechanisms involved in metabolic memory in human adipose tissue and weight re-gain after weight loss in humans. The candidate will be closely involved in collaborations with excellent clinical environments in Norway and abroad. The successful applicant will work amongst others on human biomaterial and cell culture models to better understand the potential epigenetic mechanisms involved in long-term weight trajectories. The PhD candidate will be involved in identifying novel epigenetic biomarkers of weight regain using primary adipose tissue derived from ongoing clinical collaborations and advanced molecular biology techniques such as single-cell, next generation sequencing and multi-omics technologies. The position will require large degree of interdisciplinary collaboration within CORA.

Your areas of responsibility will be

• •Work on scientific projects related epigenetic mechanísms and weight regulation
• •Closely collaborate within the research group, the center and clinical environments important for the center
• •Contribute to th reserarch environments of the research group and the whole center
• •Contribute to and exchange knowledge in the K. G. Jebsen Academy for Young Scientists
• •Be updated on the latest literature in the field
• •Contribute actively to seminars, discussion, presentations, conferences etc.

Qualifications and competence Qualification requirements:

• Master of Science in molecular biology, molecular medicine, genetics, biomedicine or similar with an average grade of B or better at the Master level • Hands-on experience in general molecular biology laboratory techniques, such as: RNA/ DNA isolation, protein extraction methods, RT-qPCR, genotyping, western blotting, Immunoprecipitation, adipocyte cell culture • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English • Ability to independently design, plan, and execute experiments • To be admitted to the PhD programmes at the University of Oslo, an applicant must have a five year master's degree or equivalent studies that have been recognised by the faculty as forming a sufficient basis for admission. For more information see: Why choose this PhD programme? - Faculty of Medicine

• •To be employed as a PhD Research Fellow, admission to a doctoral program is required, or there must be a binding agreement for admission. Normally, one must apply for admission to a Ph.D. program within 3 months after the start of the research project leading to the Ph.D. degree. For more information, please see our website: https://www.med.uio.no/english/research/phd/index.html

It is an advantage if you have

• •Experience in obesity research and/or epigenetics
• •Hands-on experience with methods within epigenetics such as ChIP, Cut & Tag, bisulphite sequencing, ATAC seq, RNA seq or similar
• •Experience with next generation sequencing data analysis and work with sensitive data
• •Basic programming skills (R/Python/Unix)
• •Competence in statistics (R/SPSS/Stata)

Personal characteristics

• Team player • Self-driven/ independent • Structured and well organized • Good communication and collaboration skills • Positive, enthusiastic about science Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications.

We need different perspectives in our work UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no. We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one? We will provide appropriate accommodations should you need them. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures. If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps, we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian). The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here. We hope you will apply for the position with us.

We offer / We can offer you / Why should you choose us?

• A stimulating work environment at a high scientific level at CORA, with possibilities for extensive cross-disciplinary collaborations and career development. • Excellent laboratory facilities at EpiGen. • Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development. • Good welfare schemes. • Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours. • A workplace with good development and career opportunities. • Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes. • Salary in position as Doctoral Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK from 550 800 to 600 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund. Read more about the benefits of working in the public s