Department of Clinical Research and the Research Unit of Clinical Genetics, University of Southern Denmark (SDU) and Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital (OUH)
We are seeking an academic candidate for a PhD position. You will join a research group running multiple projects aimed at developing biomarkers and deepening our understanding of clinically and biologically important aspects of cancer, including genetics, mechanisms, diagnostics, prognosis, and treatment selection. We apply state-of-the-art genomic assays followed by comprehensive bioinformatic analyses of large and complex datasets. The projects involve close, interdisciplinary collaboration among clinical geneticists, oncologists, bioinformaticians, commercial partners and specialists in genetic analyses, including genome sequencing, RNA analysis, and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis.

The PhD-project is part of HER-CARE (www.her-care.eu), a large EU-funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network designed to train and develop professionals with multidisciplinary expertise regarding breast cancer with early onset in individuals with a hereditary predisposition. The EU-program covers three main themes: 1) Aetiology, 2) Detection and 3) Clinical management to improve health outcomes and reducing healthcare system burdens by developing and validating new methods and tools for early/precancerous breast cancer detection and management.

This specific PhD-project is part of Theme 2 focusing on early detection of breast cancer using circulating tumor DNA to discover biomarkers in patients with a genetic predisposition to optimize risk stratification and enhance the effectiveness of breast cancer screening. You will participate in the project from its initial design phase.

Start date: September 2026 or soon after.

We offer

• Challenging and meaningful scientific tasks
• Dynamic collaboration with specialists across multiple disciplines
• Strong academic and clinical support from supervisors and colleagues at the Department of Clinical Genetics and the Clinical Genomics Center
• Stay at Professor Marjanka Schmidt’s group at Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• Stay at industrial partner Pentabase, Odense, Denmark

We are looking for a candidate who

• Holds a relevant master’s degree (e.g., MSc). An applicant may not already possess a PhD degree.
• Has a specialization in bioinformatics, biomedicine, computer science, applied mathematics, molecular biology, or a related field
• Preferably has experience in analyzing and interpreting complex datasets, ideally within DNA sequencing and biologically oriented problem-solving

Further information
Professor Mads Thomassen — , +45 65 41 28 39

Please submit a motivated application (cover letter) and attach your CV and academic transcript.

Conditions

• Applicants can be of any nationality, but candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Denmark for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment.
• Candidates must not be in possession of a PhD degree.

Salary and employment
According to the collective agreement between Danish Regions and the relevant professional organisation.

We plan to hold interviews during week 27.

Afdeling: Klinisk Genetisk Afdeling

Stillingsbetegnelse: Ph.d stilling

Arbejdstid: Full-time

Arbejdssted: Odense

Application deadline: Apply no later than 20. June 2026