The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. The campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.

Michael Sars Centre is situated at the Marineholmen campus together with other research institutes at the University. The Centre is organized as an independent research centre placed within the faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science and partner with European Molecular Biological Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow position: Decoding the gelatinous origins of brain evolution.

At the Michael Sars Centre, there is a vacancy for a postdoctoral research fellow position in the research group headed by Dr. Pawel Burkhardt. The position is for a fixed term of 3 years and is funded through the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP). The Michael Sars Centre belongs to the University of Bergen and is partner of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) (www.embl.de). The place of work will be at the Michael Sars Centre. The preferred starting date is between December 2023 and February 2024.

About the project/work tasks

The Burkhardt group combines comparative biological systems in the laboratory to understand when and how the first neurons and nervous systems evolved. The group is particularly interested in studying the nervous system of the ctenophore (comb jelly) Mnemiopsis leidyi. As part of the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) grant received together with Fred Wolf (University of Göttingen and the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization) our laboratory at the Michael Sars Centre is looking for a highly self-motivated and enthusiastic Postdoctoral Research Fellow with interests in evolutionary biology, neurobiology and cell biology. We will build on recent breakthroughs in organismal biology, molecular neuroscience, connectomics, neural circuit inference and neurotechnology to establish a data-driven account of Mnemiopsis’ neural brain circuits and behaviour, to all-optically read and interrogate the state of its brain, and to test and validate computational models of its neuronal processing by cellular-resolution whole-brain imaging. The successful candidate will undertake research with the possibility to use a variety of techniques, ranging from generating transgenic reporter lines, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, super resolution immunofluorescence and electron microscopy to study the ctenophore neurons and the aboral organ. The successful candidate will work in close association with the group leader, other lab members and collaborators in Göttingen with the aim to contribute to the further development of the project in line with her/his interests.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• The applicant must hold a Norwegian PhD or an equivalent degree in fields related to the project or must have submitted his/her doctoral thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the PhD has been awarded

• Strong motivation/enthusiasm to perform research at an internationally competitive level
• Practical experience with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, with different fluorescence imaging techniques and calcium imaging is highly desirable
• Practical experience with different gene delivery methods is highly desirable

• Specific experience working with non-bilaterian animals (preferably ctenophores) is beneficial, but not essential
• The ability to work both independently and to cooperate with others in a structured manner is essential

• Applicants must have excellent skills in oral and written English.

Special requirements for the position:

The University of Bergen is subjected to the regulation for export control system. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications.

About the position of postdoctoral research fellow:

The position of postdoctoral research fellow is a fixed-term appointment with the primary objective of qualifying the appointee for work in top academic positions. The fixed-term period for this position is 3 years. Individuals may not be hired for more than one fixed-term period as a postdoctoral research fellow at the same institution.

For postdoctoral research fellow positions associated with externally financed projects, the completion of the project proposal for the qualifying work, as well as a progress plan, will be developed in cooperation with the supervisor and head of department.

It is a requirement that the project is completed in the course of the period of employment.

We can offer:

• A good and professionally stimulating working environment
• Well-equipped, modern laboratories and facilities
• Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow (code 1352 in the basic collective agreement) And a gross annual salary of NOK 615.700 (equivalent to pay grade 63) upon appointment. Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position. For particularly highly qualified applicants, a higher salary may be considered
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Good welfare benefits

Your application must include:

• A cover letter of the applicant’s research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
• The names and contact information for 2-3 reference persons. One of these should be the main advisor from the PhD programme.
• CV
• Transcripts and diplomas. If you have not yet completed your PhD degree, please submit a statement from your institution confirming that the thesis has been submitted
• Relevant certificates/references
• List of publications or other relevant scientific work

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at JobbNorge.

Application Deadline:  20 November 2023

General information:

Detailed information about the position can be obtained by contacting: Group Leader Pawel Burkhardt, tlf.: +47 906 48 539, email: Pawel.Burkhardt@uib.no

For HR related questions, please contact HR adviser Magnus Larsen, email: magnus.larsen@uib.no

The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. Age and gender balance among employees is therefore a goal. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

Further information about our employment process can be found here.