PhD fellowship in Glial Biology Part-time

PhD Fellowship In Glial Biology

The Division of Cell and Gene Therapy of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine (CTN) is looking for an experienced and highly motivated PhD student. The successful candidate must be interested academically in neuroscience, particularly in its translational applications.

The Center for Translational Neuromedicine is part of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and is located in the Panum Institute. CTN is characterized by a highly ambitious yet collaborative research environment; we are highly interdisciplinary and maintain a wide network of international collaborators. The PhD student will join the Division of Cell and Gene Therapy (Goldman lab). The lab offers an opportunity to work in a highly innovative environment with a strong scientific focus on neural and glial cell biology and an equally strong practical focus on clinical translation.

Project description

Dysregulation of glial cells is a key driver of neurodegenerative disease. This project will focus on how healthy and diseased glial cells compete with one another in the brain. The successful candidate will generate and characterize human glial progenitor from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) for transplantation into mouse hosts and evaluate the dynamics and transcriptional concomitants of their replacement of resident glial populations. Endpoints include single cell RNA-Seq and scATAC-Seq, and spatial transcriptomics, all correlated to high-resolution histology and imaging. These studies aim to reveal mechanisms of cell-cell competition among glia, as well as the implications of that process on neuronal synaptic structure and function. Our hope is that this work will provide insight into how glial rejuvenation and replacement strategies may be used to treat neurodegenerative disease.

Principal supervisor is Professor Steven Goldman, goldman@sund.ku.dk.

Start: 1 October 2026 or after agreement

Duration: 3 years as a PhD student

PhD programme description: The PhD programme is a three-year full-time research education, intended for candidates holding a relevant academic degree within the project's subject area.

Qualifications: A master's degree in neurobiology or cell biology, with significant post-graduate technical experience, is required for this position. Significant bench experience in glial cell biology, pluripotent stem cell maintenance and characterization, iPSC generation, glial differentiation protocols, stereotactic surgery, and neurohistology and imaging is required for this position. Expertise in single cell RNA-Seq analysis and spatial transcriptomics is highly desirable.

Other important criteria are:

• The grade point average achieved
• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Previous publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other professional activities
• A curious mind-set with a strong interest in the intersection of neurodegenerative diseases and glial biology.
• English language skills

Place of employment: Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment.

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 three years. The start date is 1 October 2026 or after agreement.

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 formulated by the applicant.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty's rules on achieving the degree.

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 level) plus pension.

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

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School's website.

Application procedure: Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking 'Apply for position' below. The application 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
• Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other 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)

Application deadline: 1 July 2026, 23.59pm CET

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