Join us in our mission to find new ways of protecting neurons from neurodegeneration!

About the position

We are looking for a highly motivated researcher to join our team at the Department of Microbiology, at the Institute of Clinical Medicine at the University of Oslo. The position will be associated with the young research group “Mitonuclear DNA Maintenance and Transcriptional Control“ and will be working on the Research Council of Norway funded research project “MIND: Mitochondria-Initiated Neuronal Defense against Parkinson’s Disease”.

The position is for 2 years, from 1st of January 2027. Start date is negotiable.

More about the position

This position offers a unique opportunity to help uncover how DNA repair and mitochondrial transcription shape neuronal resilience in Parkinson’s disease. You will be the main experimental researcher of Work Package 2, where we develop and apply a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) based model of midbrain dopaminergic neurons and midbrain organoids. Using patient-derived iPSCs carrying an alpha-synuclein (SNCA) triplication and isogenic controls, you will investigate how loss of DNA repair enzymes alters mitochondrial transcription, alpha-syn aggregation, and neuronal survival.

The project explores a new idea in Parkinson’s disease (PD): that certain types of DNA repair deficiency can activate protective mitochondrial and transcriptional responses in neurons, rather than only causing damage. We focus on the DNA base excision repair (BER) enzymes and how their loss affects mitochondrial function, α-synuclein aggregation, and survival of dopaminergic neurons.

You will be employed at the Department of Microbiology, which is jointly affiliated with the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital. The institute hosts a strong but very social environment, with access to advanced core facilities. The research section in the department has 15 research groups and 6 project groups (https://www.ous-research.no/microbiology/) working in various fields, including brain cancer, microbiology, epigenetics causes of disease, as well as groups focusing on bioinformatics.

The department will be located in the new life science building from January 2027 located near Forskningsparken with easy access by public transport (metro, tram, and bus), bicycle routes. You will work in an international, interdisciplinary environment with close collaboration across research groups in Oslo and with our partners at the University of Edinburgh.

Why we are seeking a researcher

Parkinson’s disease is one of the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorders worldwide, yet current treatments are not disease-modifying. The MIND project challenges the traditional view that mitochondrial DNA damage is purely detrimental and explores how specific DNA repair defects may activate protective transcriptional programs in neurons. We are seeking a researcher who can take a leading experimental role in WP2: to establish and characterize our human iPSC-derived midbrain dopaminergic neuron model and to dissect how DNA repair-dependent changes in mitochondrial and nuclear transcription contribute to neuroprotection against alpha-syn–induced stress.

You will work closely with the principal investigator Dr. Nicola Pietro Montaldo, Prof. Hilde Loge Nilsen (UiO/OUH), and Prof. Tilo Kunath (University of Edinburgh).

If you are excited by the idea of discovering new neuronal self-defense programs, reshaping how we think about DNA repair and mitochondrial stress in Parkinson’s disease, and contributing to future therapeutic strategies, we encourage you to apply.

Your main tasks will be

Culture of iPSCs and Dopaminergic neurons:

• Establish differentiation protocol for human neuronal cultures
• Differentiate cryopreserved human iPSC into mature dopaminergic neurons (up to ~day 45)
• Differentiate cryopreserved human iPSC-derived midbrain progenitors into mature dopaminergic neurons (up to ~day 45)
• Validate neuronal identity and midbrain/dopaminergic markers using immunocytochemistry and RT-qPCR

Model Parkinson’s disease in vitro:

• Work with a defined panel of iPSC lines: A patient line with SNCA (α-synuclein) triplication (high α-syn levels and aggregation) Isogenic SNCA-corrected controls (reduced or no α-syn expression).Lines with BER knockout on the SNCA triplication background
• Measure α-syn and phospho-α-syn (pSer129) levels and aggregation (Western blot, ELISA, immunofluorescence)
• Use seed amplification assays to investigate spreading of misfolded α-syn species
• Assess mitochondrial function and stress responses
• Measure mitochondrial respiration (OCR), ATP production and responses to mitochondrial stressors such as MPP+
• Analyze mitochondrial DNA integrity and basic nuclear DNA damage responses
• Contribute to transcriptional and data-driven analyses
• Prepare samples for RNA-seq and other omics readouts
• Work with the PI and collaborators on basic analysis and interpretation of differential gene expression and pathway changes.

Functional readouts of neuronal health:

• Use microelectrode array (MEA) recordings (Maestro Pro Platform) to monitor neuronal network activity and relate this to α-syn load and mitochondrial status.

What you will gain:

• Hands-on experience with human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons and state-of-the-art PD models
• Training in mitochondrial biology, DNA repair, and transcriptional regulation in neurons
• Access to advanced infrastructure (imaging, MEA, sequencing, high-performance computing)
• Close collaboration with leading groups in DNA repair (Nilsen), PD/iPSC modeling (Kunath), and a growing national BER network (BER Norway)
• Opportunities to co-author publications and present your work at national and international meetings.

We offer / We can offer you / Why should you choose us?

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• Committed colleagues in a good working environment.
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Researcher, position code 1109 in salary range NOK from 640 000 to 730 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

Application

The application must include:

In addition to the minimum information required by the Jobbnorge portal, applicants must upload a single PDF file containing the following documents in the order listed below.

• Application letter including a summary of scientific work, interests and motivation
• Curriculum Vitae (CV), including a dedicated description of relevant skills, qualifications, and competencies that demonstrate how the applicant meets the requirements of this call
• A complete list of publications, highlighting the candidate's role in main publications relevant to the position.
• Transcripts and certificates.
• Contact information for 2-3 references: Names, email and telephone number of 2-3 referees (describe relation to applicant).

This PDF will constitute the sole basis for the evaluation of the application.

Your CV must be entered in Jobbnorge’s CV form and cannot be submitted only as an attachment. This requirement is intended to ensure correct documentation and record-keeping in accordance with the Public Administration Act, Section 15.

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for this job".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.