We are looking for a new colleague to help us unravel how cesarean section influences the gut microbiome and the risk of childhood asthma, using data analysis and murine experiments.

The early-life microbiome plays a pivotal role in immune maturation and long-term health. Children born by cesarean section have altered microbial colonization patterns compared to vaginally delivered children, and subsequently, an increased risk of asthma. However, we have demonstrated that this increased asthma risk is only present in children whose microbiome does not recover from the initial perturbation caused by the cesarean section.

In this fully funded three-year PhD project, you will learn to combine deep analysis of our unique, longitudinal microbiome and clinical datasets with experimental murine studies designed to evaluate the immunological and respiratory consequences of microbiome normalization after cesarean section. By integrating human cohort data with experimental models, we aim to move from association to causation in a strong translational framework.

COPSAC (Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood) is a translational research center comprising 60 passionate people from diverse backgrounds working together to improve children's health. We follow large, deeply phenotyped birth cohorts with extensive clinical, immunological, and microbiome data collected from pregnancy through childhood.

You will be anchored in the COPSAC microbiome group and collaborate closely with clinicians, immunologists, statisticians, and experimental researchers. COPSAC is an ambitious, supportive, and informal research environment with ample opportunity for sparring and scientific development. The murine experiments will be performed with our long-term collaborator at the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, which you will also become a part of.

As a PhD student at COPSAC, you will:

• Design, conduct, and analyze experimental murine studies evaluating immunological and respiratory outcomes
• Integrate experimental and human data to explore causal mechanisms
• Perform advanced bioinformatic and statistical analyses of complex longitudinal microbiome and clinical data
• Contribute to high-impact scientific publications and international collaborations

You will gain experience in cohort research, epidemiology, translational science, animal models, microbiome bioinformatics, R-based data analysis and visualization, and scientific communication.

Your profile:

• You have a master’s degree or equivalent, preferably within microbiology, immunology, molecular biomedicine, or related fields
• Prior experience with animal experiments and/or a valid animal experimentation license/certification (not required)
• Data analysis experience with R or a similar programming language (not required)
• You have a good understanding of how microbiological systems work and evolve.
• You would like to join a team and support the group, but you are also comfortable working independently, exploring your own ideas.
• A wish for your research to have an impact and improve the health of children

The data you will work with comes from some of the most deeply characterized children in the world, combined with well-established experimental platforms. The project bridges epidemiology, microbiology, and immunology in a truly translational framework.

Don’t hesitate to contact Jakob Stokholm (stokholm@copsac.com) if you have any questions.

Start date in May or June, but this is flexible. Salary and employment will be by the collective agreement and in accordance with current rules in the Capital Region of Denmark.

Please apply regardless of your gender, nationality, age, or background.

We look forward to hearing from you!