Doctoral Researcher in Material science / Food science / Chemistry

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry at the University of Helsinki invites applications for the position of a Doctoral Researcher in Material science / Food science / Chemistry The Doctoral researcher will be appointed for a fixed-term 4-year contract (Start date: September 1, 2024 or as agreed) to work in a project entitled "Engineering food-grade materials for combating obesity". The position will be supervised by Dr. Saman Sabet (Food and nutrition) and Professor Kirsi Mikkonen (Food and nutrition), one of the six units of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. This research aims to develop food-grade materials to disrupt fat digestion and absorption, offering a solution to obesity comparable to leading anti-obesity medications but without adverse effects. We will engineer a variety of food-grade materials using different methods. These materials will be characterized with cutting-edge technologies, and their safety and effectiveness in addressing obesity will be investigated through advanced chemical, biochemical, microbiota, and in vitro gastrointestinal analyses, as well as preclinical tests. Doctoral researcher : We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled researcher with a Master’s degree and experience in material science, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiota analysis, gastrointestinal digestion/absorption tests, or related field. A successful candidate should be able to:

• Identify, design, conduct, and report research within the scope of the project.
• Contribute to undergraduate student supervision and teaching within the department.
• Engage with the scientific community, research partners and the wider public, internationally and domestically through scientific publications, conference presentations, press releases, blogs etc.

The appointee is expected to have: Education, experience and technical skills

• A relevant Master’s degree including experience in material science, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiota analysis, gastrointestinal digestion/absorption tests, or related field.
• Fluency in English and excellent writing skills.
• Experience in microbiota analysis (e.g., using qPCR), gastrointestinal digestion/absorption tests (e.g., using TIM-1 and TIM-2, Caco-2/HT29-MTX coculture model), mucus permeability tests, and cytotoxicity is preferred, though not necessary.

Personal attributes and competencies

• Interest in basic and applied science.
• Excellent analytical and innovative research planning skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, experienced in working within multicultural and multidisciplinary teams.
• High motivation for academic research, having initiative and capable of working independently as well as in team environments.
• Values continuous improvement based on constructive evaluation, self-reflection and learning.

The appointee should either already have the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki by the start of the appointment or apply for the right and obtain it within the probationary period of six months of their appointment. If the appointee does not already have the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki, it must be applied for separately, please see: The starting salary of the Doctoral researcher will be based on level 2 of the requirement level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance. The starting salary of the Doctoral researcher will be ca. 2400-2600 euros/month, depending on the appointees’ qualifications and experience. A six-month trial period will be applied. The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, unemployment and pension fund, a generous holiday package, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development ( ). HOW TO APPLY Please submit your application in English using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System. The attachments required for the application include (preferably in a single pdf-file): 1) A cover letter explaining the applicant’s motivation for the research work in addition to the of the techniques/ methodologies employed in previous research experiences 2) A short research plan (e.g. approach, research materials and methods) (up to 3 pages) Explain your ideas on how to disturb food digestion and absorption by food-grade materials. How will you engineer these food materials, what materials will you use and why? There is no right or wrong answer! Be ambitious in your ideas. Note: Applications without the research plan will not be considered. 3) Curriculum vitae showing the applicant’s education, completed qualifications, work experience, possible list of publications and contact information of 2 persons for references (up to 3 pages). 4) Copies of Master’s, and Bachelor’s degree certificates and official transcripts of the records, and their translations, if the originals are not in Finnish, Swedish or English. External applicants, please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the Apply Now button. Applicants who have a helsinki.fi username and a valid employment contract, a grant researcher’s contract or a visiting researcher’s contract at the University of Helsinki are requested to leave their application by using the Employee Login button. The University of Helsinki welcomes applicants from a variety of genders, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The closing date for applications is 29 July 2024 at 23:59 EEST. Further information

• About the position: Dr. Saman Sabet (saman.sabet @ helsinki.fi), Professor Kirsi Mikkonen (kirsi.s.mikkonen @ helsinki.fi), or Project Coordinator Troy Faithfull (troy.faithfull @ helsinki.fi).
• Recruitment system: HR Specialist Mirkka Juntunen, mirkka.juntunen @ helsinki.fi
• Viikki Campus:
• Support for international staff: and (International House Helsinki)
• Why choose University of Helsinki:

About us The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry is located on the Viikki campus, ten kilometres from the Helsinki city centre. The mission of the faculty is to promote the sustainable use of renewable natural resources through scientific research and research-based teaching. We focus on agricultural and forest sciences, food and nutrition, microbiology, as well as on economics and management. We cover the full natural resource chain from farm to fork, the entire field of forest sciences from soil chemistry to marketing, as well as the environmental effects of related activities. Graduates from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry are versatile experts in biosciences and business, able to meet the needs of both the business sector and society at large. The Department of Food and Nutrition is a one of the six departments of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. The Department employs about 140 people including 25 teaching positions.  We address the challenges of food system sustainability by researching and developing food ingredients and production methods that support the transition to a healthier and more sustainable diet. In our changing society, the need for research-based knowledge on food, diets and their health effects as well as the special needs of different consumer groups is growing. Food innovation activities are part of our teaching and research. The department hosts both the BSc and MSc programmes "Food Science" and the MSc programme "Human Nutrition and Food Related Behaviour". Do you have a helsinki.fi username and a valid employment contract, a grant researcher’s contract, a visiting researcher’s or visiting professor’s contract at the University of Helsinki? Log in here to apply to our open positions. Employee Login Due Date:  29.7.2024 Unit:  Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry Sub-unit:  Department of Food and Nutrition ID:  3319

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