PhD scholarship in veterinary and comparative tumour immunology

About the position

The Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology (Immunology), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant 3-year PhD position related to the development of mRNA-based immunotherapies.

Lymphosarcoma (LSA) is one of the most common malignant canine tumours, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has a high translational value to human non-Hodgkins’s lymphoma. Despite the success of immunotherapy in human patients, there are few immunotherapeutic options for dogs with LSA. 

The candidate will be responsible for assessing a new mRNA-based immunotherapeutic drug in a preclinical setting under the supervision of a team of scientists with broad experience in relevant scientific fields. The candidate will participate in drug production (in vitro transcription), in vitro efficacy testing, and in vivo experiments (in mice). 

The applicant is made aware that an application for a PhD position at NMBU is at the same time an application for admission to a PhD program at the institution. The documentation that is necessary to ensure that the admission requirements are met must be uploaded as an attachment.

Main tasks

The project is a collaboration between the Oslo University Hospital (OUS), the Radium Hospital, the University of Bergen (UiB), Haukeland, and NMBU. Most of the work will take place at NMBU, while parts of the project will be performed in the animal facility at UiB (in vivo experiments). Some work may be performed at OUS. 

The candidate will perform laboratory work using cellular and molecular biological methods, and most likely conduct in vivo experiments with animal research models.

The successful candidate is expected to enter a plan for the progress of the work towards a PhD degree during the first months of the appointment, with a view to completing a doctorate within the PhD scholarship period. 

Competence

The successful applicant must meet the conditions defined for admission to a PhD programme at NMBU. The applicant must have an academically relevant education corresponding to a five-year master’s degree or a cand.med.vet. degree, with a learning outcome corresponding to the descriptions in the Norwegian Qualification Framework, second cycle. The applicant must have a documented strong academic background relevant to the position and be able to document proficiency in both written and oral English. For more detailed information on the admission criteria please see the PhD Regulations and the relevant PhD programme description.

The applicant must document expertise and interest in the research subject.

Required Academic qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (molecular biology, oncology, immunology, cell biology, or similar), or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, or Doctor of Medicine.
• Be proficient in English, both written and spoken.

Candidates who complete their education during the spring of 2025 may also apply but cannot assume the position until their studies are successfully completed.

The following experiences and skills will be emphasized:

• Experience with relevant laboratory methods (such as PCR, transcript analyses, flow cytometry, cell culture, Western blotting, ELISA). 
• Experience with handling laboratory animals or have completed a relevant experimental animal course (CAREiN or FELASA functions A, C and D).
• Experience with veterinary and/or immunology and/or oncology research.
• Previous publishing and presentation experience. 
• Academic networking experience.

You need to:

• Be able to work autonomously and have a strong sense of self-motivation.
• Be able to collaborate well with others.
• Be able to handle variations in workload and be flexible when needed according to the project’s needs.
• Be motivated to pursue a research career. 
• Have good problem-solving abilities. 

Be amenable to travel for short periods of time (Bergen).

Remuneration and further information

The position is placed in government pay scale position code 1017 PhD. Fellow NOK 536.200 – 630.000. PhD. Fellows will normally have a starting salary of NOK 536.200.

The position follows ordinary meriting regulations.

Employment is conducted according to national guidelines for University and Technical College PhD scholars.

For further information, please contact professor Preben Boysen 

E-mail: preben.boysen@nmbu.no phone +47 98887362.

Information for PhD applicants and general Information to applicants

Application

To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button above. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.

Application deadline: 27.04.2025

Your CV must be entered in JobbNorge's CV form and not just included as an attachment. This is to be able to comply with the regulations of §15 of the Public Administration Act.

In the application, the candidate must confirm that information and documentation (in the form of attachments) submitted via the job application can also be used by NMBU in a possible admission process.

Applicants invited for an interview are expected to present original diplomas and certificates.

The following documents must be attached to the application:

• Motivation letter (maximum 1 page)
• Complete CV 
• Certified copies of academic diplomas and certificates. (i.e. Diploma, transcript. Diploma supplement for both bachelor and master). Diplomas, transcripts and diploma supplements that are not in Norwegian or English must be uploaded in the original language. An English translation of these documents must also be attached.
• Applicants from universities outside Norway are kindly requested to send a diploma supplement, or a similar document, which describes in detail the study program and grading system. 

Documentation requirements for education obtained outside Norway

• Documentation of proficiency in written and oral English in accordance with NMBU PhD regulation section 5-2 (3). 
• Names and contact details for two references

Additional relevant documentation of professional knowledge (for example, list of scientific works). If it is difficult to judge the applicant’s contribution for publications with multiple authors, a short description of the applicant’s contribution must be included.

About the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at NMBU is the country's only veterinary professional education and provide expertise in veterinary medicine and veterinary public health. The Faculty educates veterinarians, animal nurses and doctoral students in Veterinary Science and researches in veterinary medicine and related biomedical fields. We have 500 students and 430 employees.

The faculty consists of the departments of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Paraclinical Sciences, Production Animal Clinical Sciences and Companion Animal Clinical Sciences. We also run the Animal Hospital, which is closely linked to our research and education, and receives patients from all over the country.