The University of Eastern Finland, UEF, is one of the largest multidisciplinary universities in Finland. The Faculty of Health Sciences operates at the Kuopio Campus of the University of Eastern Finland. The Faculty invites applications for two Postdoctoral Researcher positions, School of Medicine, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Kuopio Campus. The Food Valley project is an ecosystem which brings together research and educational institutes in the Kuopio and Northern Savo regions. The University of Eastern Finland is a key partner in this ecosystem, with an aim to build platforms that offer food industry companies an opportunity to gain deeper knowledge on their products in respect of their health effects in humans. The new platforms to be built up will be:

1. a probiotic and microbiota platform and
2. a protein bioavailability platform.

Theyare now looking for two highly motivated postdoctoral researchers for these platforms. The job description and qualification requirements are listed below.

The postdoctoral researchers will design and lead a robust research programme on their respective platform. In the probiotic and microbiota platform, a special focus is on next generation probiotic bacteria through population profiling, novel target discovery, and therapeutic development. The work involves using a diverse technical skill set for research, including nucleic acid extraction, real-time PCR, bacterial isolation and cultivation, and data analysis of microbiomes. In the protein bioavailability platform, the focus will be on human protein bioavailability by applying stable isotope integration.

The postdoctoral researcher is expected to:

• Set up in vitro protein digestion and absorption methods and an in vivo human bioavailability platform.
• Engage in interdisciplinary research and coordinate external research and clinical trials.
• Drive internal and external research communication, requiring strong writing skills and previous journal publication experience.
• Independently communicate and market the platforms for companies and the scientific community

The person to be appointed to the Postdoctoral Researcher Position is required to hold a doctoral degree, which may not have been completed more than five years ago at the time of accepting the position. In this context, the 5 years refer to a net period of time, which does not include maternity leaves, parental leaves, or military service, etc. Good written and spoken English skills are required.

Minimum qualifications

• Education & Experience: PhD and 2+ years’ of experience in the fields of microbiology, metagenomics, cell biology, protein chemistry, molecular genetics or a related biological science.
• Technical Expertise: Demonstrated technical skills. Selects and widely applies principles, theories and concepts in the major field of his her specialisation. Understands the application of domain skills and knowledge. Directs technical projects that may involve multi-disciplinary activities.
• Level of Responsibility: Fully competent scientist contributing to science and technology solutions in the conventional aspects of the discipline specialty.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience: Demonstrated ability to independently attract and execute R&D programmes as evidenced by external funding and a strong publication record.
• Experience in translational research and pharmaceutical drug development. Management of a daily analytical experiments programme.
• Technical Expertise: Ability to lead and conduct high-quality, productive research with responsibility for an overall technical approach.
• Level of Responsibility: Operates independently to design research strategies, responsible for meeting task scope, schedule and budget. The postdoctoral researcher is also expected to engage in client interactions and an program reviews.

For further information on the position, please contact: Protein platform : Professor Marjukka Kolehmainen, marjukka.kolehmainen@uef.fi , +358 29 445 4474; Probiotic and microbiota platform : Professor Hani El-Nezami, hani.el-nezami@uef.fi , +358 29 445 4456; For further information on the application procedure, please contact HR Secretary Sonja Rissanen, sonja.rissanen@uef.fi , +358 29 445 4520.