PhD fellowship in Protein Dynamics at the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology

We are offering a three-year PhD fellowship in protein analysis commencing Feb 1, 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Research group This PhD project is a collaborative project between the lab of Professor Petrine Wellendorph (Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, specializing in molecular pharmacology, principal supervisor), the Protein Analysis Group of Professor Kasper D. Rand (Department of Pharmacy, specializing in HDX-MS, principal co-supervisor), and Associate Professor Annette E. Langkilde (Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, specialist in SAXS, co-supervisor). This interdisciplinary setup uniquely bridges brain mechanisms with protein dynamics and structure, enabling new biological insights and cross-fertilization between fields. The PhD fellowship is funded by a larger project grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Project description Neuronal signalling underlies every function of the brain, from basic communication to learning and memory. This project focuses on a calcium-sensing protein that plays a central role in these processes. The project will apply in-solution biophysical and analytical methods to explore molecular details of ligand binding on protein dynamics to promote structure-function of the protein and, ultimately, advance drug discovery. As the primary methodology, mass spectrometry to measure the hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX-MS) of the protein in solution will be used. The HDX-MS method has emerged as a sensitive and powerful alternative technology to study the conformation of proteins using only small quantities of dilute samples. The project will utilize HDX-MS to analyze the protein in various conformational and activational states and elucidate its interaction with ligands and other proteins. Furthermore, the project will also use classical radioligand binding techniques and state-of-the-art biophysical methods e.g. DSF and SAXS to measure affinity and oligomerization. This combined experimental approach will allow for a detailed analysis of the biophysical, structural, and pharmacological properties of the protein.

Principal supervisor Professor Petrine Wellendorph, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, e-mail: pw@sund.ku.dk, tel. +45 3533 6397.

Duration 3 years as a PhD student

Place of employment The Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology will be the primary host, but the project will also be highly integrated with activities at Department of Pharmacy. Both departments offer research-based education and interdisciplinary research that supports the development and understanding of drugs at the highest level for the benefit of society. We work as part of a dynamic academic community of research, education and innovation within the Pharmaceutical Sciences bridging Health Sciences and Life Sciences.

Information about the primary host Department can be found at www.drug.ku.dk

Job description Your key tasks as a PhD student at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences are:

• Carrying through an independent research project under supervision
• Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points
• Participating in active research environments including a stay at another research team, preferably abroad
• Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
• Teaching of undergraduate students in pharmaceutical sciences
• Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project

PhD Programme description The PhD programme is a three-year full-time research education within the framework of the 5+3 scheme, intended for candidates holding a relevant academic degree within the project’s subject area (e.g., pharmaceutical sciences, analytical chemistry, biophysics, biochemistry, or related areas).

Qualifications If you have completed your academic education in Denmark, the admission to the PhD programme requires a relevant Master’s degree (equivalent to 180 ECTS BSc + 120 ECTS MSc).

If you have an academic education from abroad, you must have either a degree equivalent to a Danish master's degree (180 ETCS + 120 ECTS MSc), or at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a Danish bachelor's degree (180 ECTS) and be academically qualified at master's level.

As part of the assessment of whether you meet the educational requirements, you must also achieve a positive academic evaluation and be assessed as the best qualified for the position.

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project (see specific qualifications below)
• Relevant work experience
• Previous publications
• The grade point average achieved
• Other professional activities
• A curious mind-set with an overall interest in protein structure-function
• Good language skills in English and, preferably, Danish
• A collaborative mindset and strong communication skills

The successful candidate will be an experimentally oriented scientist with a primary interest in protein chemistry, structural biology, mass spectrometry and bioanalytical science. A good understanding of biochemistry and pharmacology is also a clear advantage. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in protein chemistry, mass spectrometry and data analysis. Experience with HDX-MS will give the applicant a particularly strong standing. As the project is highly collaborative, we are looking for applicants who are motivated to work across academic research groups and who bring strong interpersonal and communication skills to this kind of setting.

Place of employment The place of employment is at the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. Associated is also the Department of Pharmacy. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories within molecular pharmacology, protein chemistry and mass spectrometry.

Terms of employment The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years.

The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s successful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project to the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2025) and www.healthsciences.ku.dk on achieving the degree.

The PhD student is expected to be affiliated to the graduate programme in pharmaceutical sciences, www.dra.ku.dk

Salary, pension, and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 31,800 DKK/Roughly 4,250 EUR (August 2026) plus pension.

Application procedure Your application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking “Apply now” below and must include the following documents in PDF format:

• Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
• CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
• Publication list (if possible)
• Other information to consider: References and recommendations (if possible)

The deadline for applications is 1 November 2026, 23.59 (CET) 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 the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorised recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.

The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.

Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant.

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

Questions For further information, applicants may contact the principal supervisor Petrine Wellendorph, e-mail: pw@sund.ku.dk, phone: +45 3533 6397 or PhD coordinator Marianne W. Jørgensen, e-mail: marianne.joergensen@sund.ku.dk, phone: +45 3533 6449.

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/

For more information on working and living in Denmark visit http://ism.ku.dk (International staff mobility) and https://www.workindenmark.dk

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.

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