PhD position in Computational Metabolomics and Exposomics

Are you interested in studying how diet, microbiota and organic pollutants jointly affect our metabolism and health? We offer a PhD position with unique possibilities to study the combined effects of environmental exposures on health in a exciting and cross-disciplinary research environment that combines biological and data-analytical competence. We look forward to seeing your application!

Information about the division
Biology and Biological Engineering has four divisions; Food and Nutrition Science, Systems and Synthetic Biology, Industrial Biotechnology and Chemical Biology. A new PhD-student position is now vacant at Food and Nutrition Science. The research at Food and Nutrition science has a focus on nutritional solutions for disease prevention by studies on the molecular, cellular, and whole-body level. We also center on research that aims to promote high food quality, minimize losses throughout the value chain and to utilize alternative sources for production of nutrients. To this end, projects address e.g. the development of methods for adding value to underutilized marine raw materials, improvement of nutritional and sensory properties in fish, seaweed, cereals, fruits and greens, as well as the link between food processing and technical functionality, bioactivity, digestibility as well as bioavailability of food compounds. We also study the active response to food compounds in human cell models and animal models, and conduct human studies in collaboration with the medical faculty. Food and Nutrition science currently consists of approximately 45 people with varying backgrounds within fields such as chemistry, biology, biotechnology and nutrition.

-The details of the departmental research activities may be found here.

Major responsibilities
We are looking for a PhD candidate in Computational Metabolomics and Exposomics to identify metabolomic profiles associated with exposures to environmental exposures (diet, microbiota, and organic pollutants) in untargeted LC-MS-based metabolomics data sets. The PhD will also be integrating these metabolic profiles with exposures as well as with health-related risk markers, such as BMI, blood pressure, inflammation markers, blood lipid profiles and fasting glucose/insulin, using data from three Nordic population-based cohorts.

This PhD position will require a high degree of data analysis, including machine learning, biostatistics as well as statistical epidemiology. The applicant is expected to contribute to the active software development in the research environment and to apply and develop cutting edge bioinformatics tools. There will also be opportunities to contribute to development of AI / machine leaning for metabolomics analysis with the aim to put Chalmers at the forefront in health engineering and precision nutrition.

For all Phd students at Chalmers
Your major responsibilities are to pursue your own doctoral studies. You are expected to develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing, both in Swedish and in English. The position generally also includes teaching on Chalmers' undergraduate level or performing other duties corresponding to 20 per cent of working hours.

Position summary
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

Qualifications
To qualify as a PhD student, the applicant must hold a Master's level degree in biological engineering, bioinformatics, biostatistics, computational biology, chemometrics or similar. The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in Swedish and English. If Swedish is not your native language, you should be able to teach in Swedish after two years. Chalmers offers Swedish courses.

Documented knowledge and experience from metabolomics, exposomics, machine learning, molecular and statistical epidemiology as well as scientific computation, especially in R, will be considered strong merits.

Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Our offer to you
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the dynamic city of Gothenburg. 
Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20200569 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as pdf-files, as below:

CV: (Please name the document: CV, Family name, Ref. number)
• CV
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust.
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous experience of relevance for the position (e.g. education, thesis work and, if applicable, any other research activities)
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:
• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis.
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, e.g. TOEFL test results.

Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. The files may be compressed (zipped).

Application deadline: 31 December 2020

For questions, please contact:
Associate Professor Carl Brunius, carl.brunius@chalmers.se

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***