PhD Fellowships in Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry for Targeted and Non-Target Analysis of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) Full-time

PhD Fellowships In Analytical Chemistry

The Analytical Chemistry Group invites applications for two PhD fellowships in chromatography, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and analytical data science for targeted and non-target analysis of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs).

The two stipends are within closely related but distinct research areas: chemical fingerprinting of wastewater treatment processes and outputs and human exposomics.

The first PhD will focus on the characterization of micropollutants in wastewater, sludge, and advanced treatment processes, including method development for complex solid matrices, and will contribute to hybrid AI–mechanistic models for predicting micropollutant removal efficiency. Main supervisor is Professor Jan H. Christensen, email: jch@plen.ku.dk, phone: +4535332456.

The second PhD will focus on large-scale chemical profiling of the human urinary exposome and its association with Parkinson's disease outcomes, including method development and validation, compound prioritization and exposure-outcome correlation analysis. Main supervisor is Associate Professor Nikoline Juul Nielsen, email: njn@plen.ku.dk, phone: +45332344.

Both projects are grounded in state-of-the-art separation science, including LC (online-SPE-LC), GC×GC, and SFC coupled to high-resolution MS platforms (Orbitrap, QqTOF, TOF). The analytical scope covers quantitative targeted analysis as well as suspect and non-target screening in complex environmental and biological matrices.

Analytical data science is central to both projects: from chromatographic signal processing to (semi‑)automated compound identification including the development and application of machine and deep learning models. The balance between experimental and computational method development will depend on the candidates' profiles.

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

Who Are We Looking For?

We are looking for candidates within the field of analytical chemistry who are motivated by interdisciplinary research and collaboration with both academic and industrial partners.

Ideal candidates should have:

• MSc degree in analytical chemistry, environmental analytical chemistry, bioanalytical chemistry, or a closely related discipline with solid hands-on experience with chromatography (LC, GC, and/or SFC) coupled to mass spectrometry
• Alternatively, an MSc in data science with documented, solid experience in modelling complex analytical or mass spectrometric datasets and using related data processing workflows.
• Experience with targeted and/or non-target screening workflows, including data processing and compound identification
• Experience working with complex environmental or biological matrices (e.g., wastewater, sludge, urine) or similarly high-complexity datasets
• Experience or interest in method development, validation, and quality control of large sample sets
• Experience with chemometrics, machine learning or deep learning applied to analytical data
• Programming skills (e.g., MATLAB, R, Python) and proven experience in AI-assisted development with a strong emphasis on code review and manual optimization over automated generation are an advantage
• Strong scientific writing and communication skills
• Ability to work independently, manage research tasks effectively, and contribute constructively to a collaborative research environment

About Us

You will join the Analytical Chemistry Group at the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. The group consists of approximately 30 researchers advancing targeted, suspect, and non-target screening through the integration of separation science, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and analytical data science.

Our infrastructure includes comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC-HRMS), LC-HRMS, SFC-HRMS, LC×LC-HRMS, and dedicated computational platforms for large-scale data processing, chemometrics, and AI-driven analysis.

The projects are embedded in strong interdisciplinary collaborations with Danish water utilities, DHI, Eurofins, and ITG (Spain) for wastewater and sludge research, and Aalborg University (AAU), University of Southern Denmark (SDU), and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at UCPH for exposome research.

Principal Investigators On The Projects

Professor Jan H. Christensen, email: jch@plen.ku.dk, phone: +4535332456 and Associate professor Nikoline Juul Nielsen, email: njn@plen.ku.dk, phone: +45332344, both Section for Environmental Chemistry and Physics.

The position is open from 1 June 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

PhD Programme

A three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master's degree.

Qualifications Needed For The Regular Programme

To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, 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. Chemistry, Environmental Science, Pharmacy, Chemical Engineering etc but with a study track focused on Analytical Chemistry.

Terms Of Employment In The Regular Programme

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

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, 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 Programmes

• Carry through 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 scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We Are Looking For The Following Qualifications

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in analytical chemistry and data processing
• Good language skills

Application And Assessment Procedure

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

Please include:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page) stating which PhD you are applying for.
2. Research project proposal (choose one of the two topics: i) human urine exposome or i) micropollutants in wastewater for your research proposal, maximum 3 pages)
3. Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
4. 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.
5. Publication list (if possible)
6. Reference letters (if available)

Application deadline: The deadline for applications is Saturday 28th March 2026, 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 be passed 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 and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.