Postdoctor in fish physiology

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract scientists and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

At the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences (BioEnv) we have teaching and research activities that stretch from the alpine ecosystem, through forests, cultivated land and streams, all the way into the marine environment. In these environments we study different levels of biological organisation from genes, individuals and populations, to communities and ecosystems. We work within ecology, evolution, physiology, systematics and combinations of these fields in order to understand the impact of natural and anthropogenic changes of the environment.

The department is placed at three different localities: in Gothenburg Botanical garden, at Medicinareberget in Gothenburg and Kristineberg Marine Research Station. The current position is placed at the zoological building at Medicinareberget in Gothenburg.

Subject area 
Zoology/Fish physiology

Subject area description 
The overarching theme of all the projects is to study the impact of husbandry conditions and farming environment on fish health and welfare with emphasis on skin and intestinal functions.

The position is placed within three different research projects in collaboration with Norwegian research partners. In an FHF (Norwegian Seafood Research Fund) funded project you will be assessing the effect of omega-3 and zink levels in the diet on Atlantic salmon. In a R&D project together with the Norwegian company “Akvafuture” you will be investigating the impact of semi-closed farming systems in the sea on Atlantic salmon health and welfare. Finally, in SWIMFIT, financed by the Norwegian Research Council, you will be investigating the impact of exercise on Atlantic salmon. 

This post-doctoral fellow will be part of the Fish Endocrinology Laboratory led by Prof Kristina Sundell and senior researcher Henrik Sundh (Ph.D) but most experiments will be carried out at different research facilities in Norway where you will frequently go to sample and analyze fish tissue.

Duties 
This employment includes participating in experiments that aim to investigate effects of husbandry conditions and farming environments on Atlantic salmon health and welfare with emphasis on skin and intestinal barrier and transporting functions. The work is being conducted in collaboration with Norwegian partners at research institutes, universities, and aquaculture companies. The work is experimental within the field of animal physiology. The main experimental work will be conducted in Norway while certain tissue and data analyses as well as small scale complementary experiments can be conducted at the department in Gothenburg. The work includes all aspects of research into aquaculture-biology, including routine animal husbandry, building and surveillance of aquaria systems, experimental design, physiological experimentation at whole animal, tissue and cellular levels, sampling and analyzes, statistical analysis, compilation of results and writing of articles for scientific journals. The applicant is expected to be independent and to be able to take own initiatives within the framework of the different projects. The applicant will work in a dynamic research group where support is always available if needed, however the applicant is expected to take full responsibility of the project so that it may proceed according to plan. The applicant is expected to present the findings at conferences, seminars, and project meetings and reports for the different projects. As a member of SWEMARC the applicant is also expected to participate in center activities as well as to communicate and cooperate with other members of SWEMARC as well as national and international colleagues.

Supervision of students may be included as well as other teaching and/or administrative duties (max 20%). Periods with work at other laboratories and other countries will be needed.

For more information and how to apply  
Submit your application via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal by clicking the “Apply” button. It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per the vacancy notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline.  

Applications must be received by: Augsut 30, 2022


The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.