by
2025-11-30
Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 37,000 students and about 4,700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.
The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is key. We also take pride in delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. In fact, the future is made here.
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The announced PhD-student position in precision medicine is at the Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Sweden. The position is the part of the projects within the consortium MIPrecise under Marie Sklodowska-Curie action by the Framwork Programme of the European Union for Research and Innovation Horizon Europe. The MIPrecise project aims to develop nano-antibodies and DNA and mRNA probes to capture tumor circulating cells, cancer-cell free-mRNA, cancer-DNA from the blood-based liquid biopsies. The Eearly-Stage Researchers (ESRs) will be recruited to work and trained in collaboration with the defined projects with the interdisciplinary fields ranging from cancer biology, biotechnology, oncology, biochemistry, polymer chemistry, bioinformatics and material sciences.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterised by rapid progression and low 5-year survival rates driven mainly by high frequency of brain metastases. Early detection of metastases could dramatically improve survival rates. Liquid biopsies, which involve obtaining circulating tumour cells (CTCs), cancer cell free-mRNA and DNA from blood, offer a minimally invasive approach for early diagnosis and disease monitoring cancer progression and treatment response. However, the current capture methods lack sensitivity and often provide limited molecular information.
In this project we will explore molecularly imprinted nanoparticle (nanoMIP) protein binders and mRNA and DNA probes that are specifically for cancer cells to capture and bind specific surface marker EpCAM and cancer cell-specific glycoproteins and molecules as novel liquid biopsy tools.
The nano-antibodies-captured cancer cells will also be subjected to droplet microfluidics, one of the most promising high-throughput methods for effectively processing the MIP-probe-positive individual cells for RNAseq analysis by using our standard pipeline. We will also apply our well-established single-cell RNAseq and proteomics to further obtain cancer genomic and proteomic data and genomic and proteomic data from immune cells for patient subtype-stratification.
We will finally use cutting-edge bioinformatics data science tools developed in-house to analyze and integrate RNAseq and proteomics results from the cancer cells isolated from the blood-based liquid biopsies. The study will unravel relationships between cancer-specific RNA and protein expression to reveal new understandings of cancer biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
The project will be conducted through interdisciplinary collaborations with the partner teams and will integrate clinical and preclinical tumor biology with chemistry with focus on biomarker discovery and validation. The study will translate our technologies to the advancement of precision oncology.
One PhD position is available for a highly motivated and creative student. Applicant must hold a University degree of at least 240 credits (ECTs) including 60 credits at advanced level, or equivalent levels of education otherwise acquired in Sweden or abroad. The applicant should have a master’s degree (or equivalent) in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Molecular Biology, Tumor Biology, Material Sciences or Biomedicine with a solid background in practical experience in experimental laboratory work is essential. Practical work in tumor and microscopic imaging technologies is expected, and applications in cell experiments is an advantage. Preference will be given to applicants with interdisciplinary experience directly related to the tumor biology and omics technologies.
The applicant must have strong scientific writing and presentation skills in English. And this is evaluated by a presentation of the research plan in English for the supervisor and the post-graduate studies board of the Department.
Candidates must demonstrate eligibility according to the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions eligibility requirements as follows.
a) Research stutus: ESRs are young researchers who, at the date of recruitment (the starting date indicated in the contract), are in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree.
b) Nationality: Applicant ESRs can be of any nationality.
c) Mobility requirements: Applicant ESRs must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the date of recruitment (Compulsory national service, short stay such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.).
The application should include:
1. A cover letter with description of the applicant’s research experience, research interests and motivation for the application.
2. Curriculum vitae.
3. Copy of relevant degrees with certifications.
4. Copies of Bachelor/Master thesis work and relevant publications.
5. Contact information for two reference persons.
The application must be written in Swedish or English. The application must be made via our e-recruitment system Varbi and must be received latest 30 November 2025.
Eligible applications will be forwarded to the relevant partners in charge of each project and each partner will shortlist their applicants. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview with the MIPrecise team in November. Applicants will be informed of the outcome by end of 2025. Successful applicants will need to prove that they are eligible (three aspects: respect ESR definition, mobility criteria, and English language proficiency).
The formal enrolment of the successful applicant as a PhD student is preceded by an evaluation to ensure that the applicant meets the requirements of the higher education ordinance in order to be accepted as a doctoral student at the Faculty of Medicine at Umeå University.
The selected ESRs are expected to start March 1st 2026.
For additional information about the position, please contact Jenny Persson, Professor of Tumor Biology and Head of the Group, jenny.persson@umu.se
The Jenny Persson lab is specialized in Cancer, Artificial Intelligence in Oncology at the Department of Molecular Biology. Partnership including EU_GlycoImaging, EU_ REVERT, University of Nottingham, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York. You can find more information about us at https://www.umu.se/en/staff/jenny-persson/.
We are looking forward to receive your application!
Admission
2026-03-01
Salary
Månadslön
Application deadline
2025-11-30
Registration number
AN 2.2.1-1246-25
Contact
Jenny Persson
jenny.persson@umu.se
Union representative
SACO
090-7865365
SEKO
090-7865296
ST
090-7865431