About the position
A full-time PhD position (SKO 1017) is available for 4 years in the “Innate Lymphocyte Group” led by professor Marit Inngjerdingen at Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo. The position includes 25 percent of career-promoting work, such as teaching, supervision, and/or research assistance. The career-promoting work is dependent upon the qualifications of the applicant and the current needs of the department.
This position is a part of the convergence environment PERMEATE- Peptides for Membrane Targeting and Synergistic Drug Delivery. Convergence environments are interdisciplinary research groups that will aim to solve grand challenges related to health and environment. They are funded by UiO's interdisciplinary strategic area UiO:Life Science.
The project will focus on overcoming cell membrane barriers using peptides to facilitate the targeted delivery of therapeutic molecules, leveraging a multidisciplinary approach that combines expertise from computational sciences and chemistry to pharmacy and medicine.
Key research goals of the project are:
- Identify peptides to specifically target and permeate cell membranes of therapeutic relevance.
- Explore synergistic effects of peptides with small molecule therapeutics.
- Use peptides as a targeting molecule for drug delivery vehicles such as lipid nanoparticles (LNPs)
- Create experimental protocols for cancerous, healthy human and microbial model cell membranes.
- Establish predictive models for peptide-induced transport and cell membrane deformation.
- Create a training hub for young scientists to prosper in a multidisciplinary environment that connects experts ranging from theoretical modelling to biomedical applications.
The convergence environment will include three PhD positions and one postdoc position.
More about the position
The PhD candidate will be affiliated with the Inngjerdingen lab, which focuses on NK cells and how extracellular vesicles from NK cells can be exploited for cancer therapy against solid tumors. The group runs both basic science projects to uncover new mechanistic and biological insights, as well as innovation and commercialization projects. The PhD project will be centered on developing realistic model membranes in the form of lipid nanoparticles and incorporation of cell-penetrable peptides for precise delivery to cancer cells, and exploiting differences in the membrane compositions of healthy cells and malignant cells. These data will be used to design precise delivery systems for cytostatics. The approach will also be used to design a lipid nanoparticle-based antibiotic delivery system to bacterial membranes.
The candidate is expected to collaborate with national/international partners and be prepared to travel.
The place of work will be at the Department of Pharmacology’s premises at Rikshospitalet. In 2027, the Department will move into the new Life Sciences Building, which will offer modern research facilities.
Starting date from 01.08.2026 - 01.10.2026.
Requirements
- 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 recognized by the faculty as forming a sufficient basis for admission.
- The candidate should have an MSc degree within the fields of immunology, cell biology or biochemistry.
- The candidate must have excellent written and oral communication skills in English
- The candidates should be able to teach in a Scandinavian language.
- Experience in extracellular vesicles/lipid nanoparticles, lipid chemistry and/or confocal microscopy is an advantage.
- We are looking for highly motivated and structured candidates with excellent laboratory skills and excellent collaborative qualities.
- The successful candidate is positive-minded, well organized, looking forward to learning and developing new techniques and has good communication skills.
To be employed as a PhD Research Fellow, admission to a doctoral program is required. 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.
No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.
We offer
- An exciting research environment with opportunities for academic development, with possibility of supervision experience.
- Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
- 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.
- Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
- Good welfare schemes.
- Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.
Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.
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 do our best to accommodate your needs. 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.
Application
Your application should include:
- Application letter.
- CV.
- A complete list of publications.
- Transcripts and certificates.
- Contact information for 2-3 references.
Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position".
When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.
General information
The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.
Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us.
Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian), Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.
The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.
Om arbeidsgiveren:
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 26 500 students and 7 200 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.
The Institute of Clinical Medicine (Klinmed) is one of three institutes under the Faculty. Klinmed is responsible for the Faculty's educational and research activities at Oslo University Hospital and Akershus University Hospital. With about 900 employees spread over approximately 425 man-labour years, Klinmed is the university's largest institute. Our activities follow the clinical activity at the hospitals and are spread across a number of geographical areas.