PhD fellowship in Mapping sex steroids in salivary glands, saliva and blood in patients with Sjögren’s disease Full-time

PhD Fellowship In Oral Medicine And Immunology

We are offering a PhD fellowship in oral medicine and immunology commencing 1 August 2026 or after agreement.

The overall aim of this project is to determine whether the systemic and/or local synthesis and activity of sex steroid hormones (steroidogenesis) are disrupted in Sjögren's disease (SjD), and whether these imbalances are linked to aberrant expression and activity of immune cells and unique cytokine signatures, and whether aberrant sex steroid metabolism and immune cell signatures are reflected in different clinical features and disease activity.

The project includes:

• Clinical phenotyping, based on disease activity, disease manifestations, levels of serum autoantibodies, and degree of lymphocytic infiltration in salivary glands tissue, salivary secretion and ocular involvement. The oral and rheumatological examinations will take place at the Department of Odontology, University of Copenhagen and at the Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, respectively
• Immune cell, cytokine, and multi-modal single-cell profiling on saliva, blood and salivary gland tissue. Analyses will be performed in collaboration with research team at Biotech Research & Innovation Centre (BRIC)
• Mapping of the complete steroidogenesis in salivary gland tissue, saliva and plasma samples. Analyses will be performed in collaboration with research team at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen

Findings will be correlated and compared between patients with SjD, patients with non-SjD-like disease, and healthy, gender- and age-matched persons.

Project description Most autoimmune diseases (AID) affect women. SjD is a prototypical AID characterised by inflammation and dysfunction of exocrine glands, mainly salivary and lacrimal glands. Dry mouth, dry eyes, fatigue, arthralgia and other organ involvement impact the overall health and quality of life. The female dominance (90%), the onset coinciding with menopause, and the sex-based differences in the clinical presentation suggest that sex steroids are central players in the pathogenesis and progression of SjD. The levels of sex steroids have been reported reduced both systemically and within the salivary glands, but the specific metabolism and role of these steroids in salivary gland function and their potential contribution to the pathogenesis of SjD remains unexplored. Aberrant endocrine mechanisms could drive pathogenic immune responses and loss of tolerance. To clarify this, the levels of sex steroids and cytokines in blood and saliva, the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the expression of steroid receptors, e.g. estrogen and androgen receptors, and immune cells in the salivary glands of patients with SjD, non-SjD and healthy controls will be characterised and compared. The local sex steroidogenesis in the salivary gland tissue will be mapped to unravel any disruptions within the steroidogenic pathway.

Our group and research A multidisciplinary approach ensures feasibility and provision of new insights into sex hormone-related mechanisms in AID like SjD. The research team comprises: Professor, DDS Anne Marie Lynge Pedersen, Associate Professor, DDS Hülya Cevic Aras and Professor, MSc Anders Hay-Schmidt from Section for Oral Biology and Immunopathology, Department of Odontology, University of Copenhagen; Professor Bjarne Styrishave, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Professor Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas Biotech Research & Innovation Centre (BRIC), and Professor, Chief consultant Lene Terslev at the Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, and Department of Medicine, University of Copenhagen.

• Supervision The project will be carried out under the supervision of:
• Primary supervisor, Professor, DDS, PhD Anne Marie Lynge Pedersen
• Primary co-supervisor, Professor Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas
• Co-supervisors: Professor Bjarne Styrishave, Associate Professor, DDS, PhD Hülya Cevik Aras, Professor Anders Hay-Schmidt and Professor Lene Terslev.

Start: 1 August 2026, or after agreement

Duration: 3 years as a PhD student

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 and attending the events arranged by The Graduate programme for Oral Sciences, Forensic Medicine and Bioanthropology (RIO).
• Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project.
• Teaching and disseminating your knowledge.
• Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project.

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master's degree in Dentistry (DDS) and must document practical skills and theoretical knowledge as a dental professional.

Please note that your master's degree must be equivalent to a Danish master's degree (two years).

Applicants are expected to have obtained authorization to work independently as a dentist in Denmark – or to obtain authorization within near future – and must be able to communicate in Danish, as all patient records are required to be kept in Danish.

Furthermore, applicants who are knowledgeable within the field of oral medicine, and who demonstrate pertinent and persistent interest in the research field, will be preferred.

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 interdisciplinary research collaboration
• Language skills

Place of employment The place of employment is at the Department of Odontology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and clinical facilities necessary for conducting the project. Terms of employment The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

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 Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 31,200 DKK/roughly 4,100 EUR (November 2025 level) plus pension. Questions 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: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/

Application procedure Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking 'Apply now' below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:

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

2. CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position

3. 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. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master's degree must be equivalent to a Danish master's degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.

4. Publication list (if possible)

Application deadline: 23 April 2026 23.59pm 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 authorized recruitment manager selects applicants