Doctoral Researcher/Project Researcher/Research Assistant in Immune Cell Navigation Group

The project is led by PhD Jonna Alanko, an Academy researcher with a strong background in cutting-edge dendritic cell research. The project will be carried out at Turku Bioscience, University of Turku, with several state-of-the-art core facilities, including the Euro BioImaging Finnish Advanced Light Microscopy Node. The work will be done in collaboration with international experts and involves also working in separate collaborative projects. The employed researcher will have the opportunity to join a new and growing research team, ensuring extensive teaching, mentoring and availability of the supervisor throughout the project.

Good team dynamics and a supportive, innovative working atmosphere are particularly important to us.

Group website: https://bioscience.fi/immune-cell-navigation/ (official website under development)

Group leader PhD Jonna Alanko: ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7698-3061

Job description

We are looking for a highly motivated researcher to join a project that explores the chemotactic migration and navigation of immune cells in various tissue environments. The project aims to reveal the mechanisms regulating especially dendritic cell migrating and the impact of disease associated changes in extracellular matrix on dendritic cell function. Defects in dendritic cell trafficking can lead to various autoimmune diseases and progression of cancer. Thus, the mechanisms regulating dendritic cell trafficking may provide an important target for designing future therapeutic interventions.

Apply between and

Who we are looking for

  • Master's degree in immunology, cell biology, biochemistry, biophysics or other appropriate field. Students graduating in the coming months may also be considered.
  • Preference will be given to doctoral student or project researchers. If the successful candidate is only in the process of completing a Master's degree, the title of the post can be Research Assistant for a short period of time, until the degree is completed.
  • An excellent English, both written and oral, is essential.
  • Previous experience in cell culturing and microscopy as well as in basic knowledge of ImageJ are essential.

Any of the following skills will be considered an advantage:

  • Experience in collecting or differentiating immune cells
  • Proficiency in different types of microscopes and immunofluorescence staining
  • Immunohistology
  • Extensive knowledge of basic molecular biology techniques (e.g. WB, PCR, ELISA, IF staining)
  • Coding skills (R, Matlab or equivalent)
  • Bioinformatics and statistics skills
  • Experience in scientific writing

The eligibility requirements for the position are set in the University of Turku's statutes. If the candidate does not hold a doctoral degree at the time of selection, the position will initially be filled with the title of Project /Research Assistant.

Our selection criteria are based on finding the most qualified and suitable candidate. In practice, this means that in addition to education, publications and work experience, individual characteristics, motivation, communication and language skills and other relevant criteria are taken into account. The post will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found.

Benefits

  • Fully funded PhD position and an interesting project with plenty of live cell microscopy
  • Scientific excellence and ambitious collaborative projects
  • A dynamic and stimulating research environment in a growing team
  • Interesting career opportunities and the chance to contribute to the development of your own work
  • International research collaboration and networking opportunities
  • Flexible working arrangements that support work-life balance
  • A working culture of equality and accessibility
  • A wide range of training and skills development opportunities
  • Opportunity for a research visit abroad

Please read more about University of Turku as an employee from our Come work with us! pages.

The European Commission has awarded the University of Turku the right to use the HR Excellence in Research logo. The logo is a token of the University's commitment to continuous development of the position and working conditions of researchers according to the guidelines set forth in the European Charter for Researchers. 

The university offers good support and orientation for international hires. Please learn more about the Finnish culture and relocation to Finland:

Salary and trial period

The position starts on 1st of January 2025 or as agreed. The position of Doctoral researcher is for a fixed term of three (3) years including a six-months trial period and a possibility for extension.

The salary is determined by the collective agreement system of the Finnish universities. These positions belong to our research personnel and the salary will be as follows: the salary for a doctoral researcher or project researcher is around € 2 400-2 550/month and for a research assistant around € 2 180-2 300/month.

Open applications accepted too

In addition, we may soon have a need for a part-time (50-70% working hours) research technician/research assistant/project worker to work on the project described above for approximately one year. The exact job content, job title and other details will be specified in the further stages of the recruitment process. We are therefore accepting open applications at this stage.  If you are also interested in such part-time positions, please clearly mention this in your application letter.

How to apply

Please attach the following documents in the application (in English):

1) A letter of motivation, including details your past work experience and motivation for applying this position (max 1 page).

2) CV (max 2 pages).

3) Copies of diplomas. If the certificate is not in Finnish or English, an official English translation is required.

4) Contact details of three referees (name, place of work and e-mail address).

 

For further information on the position, please contact the supervisor by e-mail: jonna.alanko@utu.fi

For questions related to the application process, please turn to HR Specialist Paula Luoma paula.luoma(at)utu.fi ( available starting 31.12.2024)


 

Turku Bioscience Centre

Turku Bioscience is an advanced core facility and research centre hosted jointly by University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University. Our aim is to provide complete packages of service expertise and know-how to provide both academic and corporate research groups the tools and means to shorten the runway from an initial discovery to the take-off of a success story. To this end, we aim to stay at the frontiers of new technologies and research and we are also actively facilitating interactions and joint projects between academia and industry.

The University of Turku is an inspiring and international academic community of 25,000 students and staff in Southwest Finland. We build a sustainable future with multidisciplinary research, education, and collaboration. With us, your work will have a significant impact and relevance in the changing world.

See our open vacancies

HR Excellence in Research Logo

Homepage LinkedIn Facebook X Youtube Instagram

Information for the applicant

The application form cannot be saved as a draft. However, after submitting you can return to edit your application via the link you receive by email. The application can be edited until the application deadline.

You have 6 hours to complete your application before the timeout.

Instructions for submitting a job application

Logo

Doctoral Researcher/Project Researcher/Research Assistant in Immune Cell Navigation Group

Apply with LinkedIn

OR

Are you sure you want to withdraw this application?

Back to form
Saving changes
Saved!