PhD fellowship in Cell Biology and Physiology

PhD Project in Mitochondrial function and network dynamics

The section for Cell Biology and Physiology at Department of Biology invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in Mitochondrial function and network dynamics. The project is financed by The Independent Research Fund Denmark.

Start date is expected to be 1 March 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project

The aim of the project is to elucidate the role of PDK4 in regulating mitochondrial function and network dynamics in skeletal muscle. The project will involve both mouse and human experiments as well as cell culture studies. The project will focus on elucidating the underlying mechanisms regulating mitochondrial dynamics and network structure as well as mitochondrial function in response to metabolic challenges and the role of PDK4 in this regulation.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates within the field(s) of Cell Biology and Physiology with focus on mitochondrial biology. Applicants can have a background within Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biomedicine or similar. The candidate is expected to have a solid experience in performing laboratory analyses within molecular biology, cell biology, and importantly having experience in performing confocal microscopy analyses as well as some experience in working with transgenic mice.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?

Our group overall aims at understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in acute metabolic regulation and metabolic adaptations in multiple tissues. One special focus is on the regulation of mitochondrial function, dynamics and network structure in skeletal muscle during metabolic challenges using human and mouse experiments. The group consists at the moment of a 6 master students, 4 project students, 1 research assistant, 1 assistant professor and 1 professor.

Our group is part of The Section for Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen. We are located in Copenhagen. Our research facilities include modern laboratories with state of the art methodologies and we offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and an international research environment.

Principal supervisor isProfessor Henriette Pilegaard, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen; email: ;

Qualifications needed for the PhD programme

To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, which is a three year full-time study, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master's degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. biology or biochemistry. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment in the regular programme

Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Science Faculty, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks in the PhD programme

• Carry out an independent research project under supervision.
• Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE.
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad.
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities.
• Write high quality scientific papers.
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project.

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Solid background in Cell Biology and Physiology.
• Solid experience in performing laboratory work.
• Solid experience in state of the art laboratory methods within molecular biology and cell biology and especially experience in performing confocal microscopy analyses.
• Solid background in performing mitochondrial analyses.
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in mitochondrial biology.
• Proficient in written and spoken scientific English.

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Application and Assessment Procedure

Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include:

• Motivated letter of application (max. one page).

• Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.

• Original diplomas for Bachelor or Master and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.

• Publication list (if possible)

• Reference letters (if available)

Application deadline:

The deadline for applications is 25 November 2025, 23:59 GMT +1.

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process

After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will pass for assessment.

The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in week 52, 2025 and week 1 and 2, 2026.

Questions

For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School's website:

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.

Københavns Universitet giver sine knap medarbejdere muligheder for at udnytte deres talent fuldt ud i et ambitiøst, uformelt miljø. Vi sikrer traditionsrige og moderne rammer om uddannelser og fri forskning på højt internationalt niveau. Vi søger svar og løsninger på fælles problemer og gør ny viden tilgængelig og nyttig for andre.

Henriette Pilegaard

E-mail:

Ansøgningsfrist:

Ansættelsesdato:

Arbejdstid: Fuldtid

Afdeling/Sted: Department of Biology