Postdoc position in synapse biology, memory, and mental health

The Nykjaer Lab at DANDRITE - The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - and Center of Excellence PROMEMO at Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, is seeking an enthusiastic and talented postdoctoral fellow to study synapse biology in mental health, memory, and associated diseases as per the 1st of April 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is a 2-year full-time position, with possibility for extension.

The employment will be in the Anders Nykjaer Lab at DANDRITE – The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - and Center of Excellence PROMEMO at Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University. DANDRITE is the Danish node of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine and is devoted to interdisciplinary approaches in basic and translational neuroscience. PROMEMO - Center for Proteins in Memory, a Danish National Research Foundation Center of Excellence, is hosted by Aarhus University and aims to understand the function of memory associated proteins that determines the persistence of a memory.

The experimental work will take place at the Department of Biomedicine, which employs some 450 people and covers a range of research areas within biomedicine with neuroscience being one of the main focus areas. The infrastructure is well developed with modern laboratories, core and animal facilities.

About the research project
Our research focuses on the family of sortilin/Vps10p receptors that controls neuronal cell fate, neurodevelopment, circuit formation, and synapse biology. Having pioneered this field, we found that sortilin receptors are critical regulators of cellular signaling and trafficking, and are functionally associated with neuropsychiatric disorders and impaired memory.

The successful candidate will be part of a vibrant, international reasearch team and work on a project aiming to understand how sortilin/Vps10p receptors control mental health and memory acquisition and consolidation. Main techniques employed will include cell biology, in vivo calcium imaging, fiberphotometry for detection of neurotransmitter release, single-cell RNA sequencing, and mouse behaviour.

Your job responsibilities
Your main tasks will consist of:

• Independent research of high international quality, including publication
• Stereotactic virus injection in adult mice
• Calcium imaging using fiberphotometry and/or miniscopes
• Confocal microscopy – sample preparation, imaging, and image postprocessing
• Cell culture including primary neuronal cultures
• Classical biochemistry and molecular biology techniques

Experience with 2-photon microscopy, mouse behavior, single-cell RNA sequencing (tissue preparation, data analysis), viral mediated shRNA, and cell signaling are an advantage.
You will report to Professor Anders Nykjær.

Your competences
The candidate should have completed a PhD in neuroscience and/or biomedicine, must be fluent in oral and written English, and possess good communication and interpersonal skills as well as a strong capacity for team work.
In order to be assessed as qualified for a Postdoc position, you must meet these academic criteria.
Shortlisting will be used.

Questions about the position
Potential candidates are strongly encouraged to contact Professor Anders Nykjaer before submitting an application, email: an@biomed.au.dk or tel.: (+45) 2899 2384.

Your place of work will be the new Skou Building, Department of Biomedicine, Hoegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
We expect to conduct interviews in mid-February.

Terms of employment

• Appointment as a postdoc requires academic qualifications at PhD level.
• Further information on the appointment procedure can be found in the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.
• The appointment is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
• Remuneration is in accordance with the above, and the Salary agreement catalogue for staff at Health.
• The yearly base salary for a fulltime postdoc position with minimum 3 years of working experience after achieved MSc degree is DKK 486,969.17 or DKK 512,713.62 with minimum 4 years of working experience after achieved MSc degree. The base salary includes a position related supplement and pension (17.1 %). Additional supplement(s) for special qualifications can be negotiated. Authorisation supplemement(s) will be granted, if relevant for the position. Your local eligible trade union representative at Aarhus University negotiates your salary on your behalf.
• Researchers recruited from abroad are offered a special researcher tax scheme with a lower tax rate.
• Further information on qualification requirements and job description can be found in the.Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff

Application
Your application must include the following:

• Motivated application
• Curriculum Vitae
• Diploma
• A list of publications
• A teaching portfolio. We refer to Guideline on the use of teaching portfolios
• A maximum of five of the publications of greatest relevance to the job may be submitted
• Template for applicant - postdoc must be completed and uploaded under ‘Extra documents’
• Strategic research plan can be uploaded
• Coauthor statement(s) can be uploaded
• References/recommendations can be uploaded separately in the e-recruitment system

We refer to the faculty’s Guidelines for applicants.

The assessment committee may decide to include non-submitted material in its statement. In such cases, you will be informed and obliged to submit material, unless your application is withdrawn.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.

Letter of reference
If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

International applicant?
Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here. Aarhus University also has a Junior Researcher Development Programme. You can read more about it here.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

Aarhus University
Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,000 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 885 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/

Deadline: 09 February 2021