Umeå University - with its 33,000 students and over 4,000 employees - is an organisation in constant change and development. Umeå University conducts groundbreaking research within several areas - several in which we are among the best in the world - within others regarded as the leaders in Sweden. We are one of Sweden’s largest providers of education and offer a broad and attractive range of courses and programmes. Our campus constitutes an inspiring environment for everyone that studies and works here. We wish to co-operate with companies and organisations throughout the Umeå region and all over the world.

PhD student position in Organic Chemistry
with focus on computational and medicinal chemistry

Project description
Inherited and acquired modifications of chromatin and chromatin-related proteins, including acetylation, phosphorylation, and methylation, play critical roles in the regulation of gene expression, chromosome stability, genomic imprinting and stem cell development. The aim of this project is to improve the understanding of epigenetic signalling mechanisms and their importance for human health and disease through the discovery and distribution of chemical probes directed towards proteins implicated in epigenetic events. Specifically the candidate will work in a multidisciplinary team applying computational and medicinal chemistry to design and synthesize small organic compounds with the goal to obtain potent compounds that specifically target proteins involved in epigenetic signalling. The project is carried out in collaboration with the Structural Genomics Consortium at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.

Application
The application should include a letter of intent, certified curriculum vitae that includes information on previous education, copies of master or bachelor thesis if available, publications and other documents supporting your competence and suitability for the position. We also want e-mail address and phone number to two reference persons. The application may be written in English or Swedish.

Requirements
Prerequisites include either i) 240 ECTS credits of higher education studies of which 60 should be on an advanced level (Master level), or ii) 120 Swedish (old) credits (corresponding to 180 ECTS credits) of higher education studies if they were taken before July 1, 2007 or equivalent competence. Advanced courses in organic, medicinal and computational chemistry are qualifying.

The successful applicant should have good ability to write and speak in English, creativity, power of initiative, independence and ability to collaborate. Evaluations will be based on results on University courses, quality of master or bachelor thesis, references, interviews and the letter of intent. A PhD education is 4 years (48 months) and the PhD student will get a formal position at the start of the project (Swedish “doktorandanställning”). Up to 20 % as teaching assistant may be included in the position (then the position will be extended accordingly).

Questions about the position will be answered by Prof. Mikael Elofsson, phone +46 (0)90 786 93 28, e-mail: mikael.elofsson@chem.umu.se.

Union information is available from SACO, +46-(0)90-786 53 65, SEKO, +46-(0)90-786 52 96 and ST, +46-(0)90-786 54 31.

Applications will be discarded or, if the applicant so wishes, returned two years after the position has been filled. Documents sent electronically should be in MS Word or PDF format.

The application period for this advert has expired.