Postdoc in Veterinary Microbiology

Previous postdoctoral experience

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated veterinary microbiologist for a 2-year part-time postdoc position starting around 1st January 2027. The new postdoc is expected to contribute to the scientific and teaching activities of the research group One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (OHAR) within the section of Veterinary Clinical Microbiology. Additionally, the postdoc will be responsible for defined scientific and management activities within the project SOA36 - Designing best veterinary practices to reduce antimicrobial and antiparasitic use (BEST-VET), funded by the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare (EUPAHW). These responsibilities include supporting the project Chair in the day-to-day coordination and management of the consortium, as well as planning and conducting research aimed at reducing antimicrobial use in pigs through improved diagnostic and treatment protocols for key endemic bacterial diseases, and active involvement in the development of clinical guidelines for prudent antimicrobial use in pig medicine, with a particular focus on developing evidence-based guidelines using the GRADE approach. Through these activities, the postdoc will contribute to strengthening antimicrobial stewardship and promoting evidence-based best practices in veterinary medicine.

Information on the department and the section can be found at: https://ivh.ku.dk/.

Our research

The postdoc will be part of the OHAR research group led by Prof. Luca Guardabassi. Our research is characterized by two focus areas:

• Development of diagnostic tests and methods to reduce and rationalize antimicrobial use in animals.
• Optimization of veterinary antimicrobial use to minimize selection and spread of antimicrobial resistance.

For more information, please check the OHAR homepage One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (OHAR) – University of Copenhagen

Your job

You are a highly qualified veterinary microbiologist with the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team. You will be required to be physically present in the laboratory to contribute to ongoing research projects and oversee experiments conducted by PhD, MSc, and BSc students. As part of the EU project BEST-VET, you will contribute to selected work packages and expert groups, including WP1 (Reduction of drug use in pigs), WP7 (Environmental impact of antimicrobial/antiparasitic drugs and phage therapy), Expert Group 1 (Phages and their environmental impact), Expert Group 3 (Standardization of sampling, metagenomics & analytical methods) and Expert Group 5 (Clinical guidance). You will be responsible for coordinating and following up on SOA36 activities related to these work packages and expert groups. You will also act as a key point of contact between the project management, work package leaders and expert groups. Your project management responsibilities will further include supporting the organisation of Management Board meetings, following up on project activities and deadlines, and maintaining the SOA36 SharePoint and associated project documentation. As part of the position, you will undertake a one-year training programme in evidence-based guideline development using the GRADE approach and subsequently contribute to the development of evidence-based clinical guidelines for veterinary medicine.

Profile

We are seeking a highly qualified scientist with a strong track record of independent research in veterinary bacteriology and experience in international collaborative research project coordination, as well as in the supervision and teaching of veterinary and postgraduate students.

Essential experience and skills:

• A MSc degree in Veterinary Medicine
• A PhD in Veterinary Microbiology or a closely related field
• Previous postdoctoral experience
• Outstanding publication record in relation to career stage
• Excellent scientific writing and oral communication skills
• Experience in supervising PhD, MSc, and BSc students
• Experience in the coordination and management of collaborative research projects
• Experience with bacterial whole-genome sequencing and genomic data analysis
• Knowledge of key concepts in antimicrobial stewardship

Desirable experience and skills:

• Research experience in antimicrobial resistance
• Experience in metagenomics
• Experience in routine bacteriological and mycological diagnostics
• Experience in preparing research proposals and applications for external funding

Place of employment

The place of employment is at the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research env