Position: Postdoctoral Bioinformatician / Computational Biologist

Host Institution: University of Copenhagen & Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

Application Deadline: 25 September 2026, 23:59 CET

Preferred Start Date: 1 November 2026

Duration: 3 years

The Research Group
This 3-year postdoctoral position is part of a newly funded Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF) project bridging basic functional genomics and clinical population genetics. The candidate will be jointly supervised by Dr. Stefan Stender (Clinical PI, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet) and Prof. Jesper B. Andersen (Basic PI, Biotech Research and Innovation Centre – BRIC, University of Copenhagen).

The successful candidate will be physically embedded within the Stender group at Rigshospitalet while working in daily close proximity with the Andersen Lab at BRIC, which is located a short walking distance away. This tandem research environment unites state-of-the-art robotic screening infrastructure (TORI) and spatial biology (CellX) with biobank-scale genetic datasets encompassing over 2 million individuals.

Project Details
Therapeutic discovery in liver cancer is hindered by a translational gap where targets identified in vitro fail in clinical settings due to toxicity or lack of efficacy. This project uses a novel strategy to identify and de-risk cancer-specific metabolic targets by converging functional CRISPR screens with population-scale human genetic cohorts.

Using cellular triglyceride content as a primary phenotypic readout, we will perform multi-modal genetic screening to identify genes essential for lipid homeostasis in patient-derived primary liver cancer cell models. Concurrently, we will interrogate candidate genes within large-scale human biobanks. By identifying individuals who carry functional variants in these CRISPR-identified genes, we can "stress-test" the physiological effects of target perturbation directly in humans, followed by confirmation in 3D organoid models. By uniting functional genomics with population-scale genetic evidence, the project selects targets not only for their biological impact on malignancy but also for their demonstrated clinical safety and efficacy.

Role of the Bioinformatician
As the primary technical bridge across the research team, you will build, analyze and drive the analytical workflows that connect functional CRISPR screening readouts with population-scale biobank data. You will take active part in an interdisciplinary team focused on solving biomedical problems.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the bioinformatic pipeline for processing and statistical evaluation of high-throughput multi-modal CRISPR screens (KO, CRISPRi, CRISPRa).
• Conduct large-scale human genetic analyses (rare variant burden tests, GWAS, PheWAS) on biobank datasets (>2 million individuals) to evaluate target safety and efficacy.
• Analyze spatial transcriptomics, single-cell, and multi-omics data from human MASLD-HCC tissue cohorts.
• Collaborate closely with wet-lab postdocs, PhD students, and international partners.

Requirements
We are seeking a highly motivated, ambitious bioinformatician or computational biologist with the following qualifications:

• A PhD (or MD PhD) in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Human Genetics, Biostatistics, Data Science, or a related quantitative field.
• Experience with primary analysis of high-throughput sequencing data (e.g., CRISPR screening data, bulk/single-cell/spatial transcriptomics).
• Insight into and experience with large-scale human genetic epidemiology, including GWAS, rare-variant burden testing, and PheWAS is required. It is considered an advantage to have prior experience working within hepatology.
• High proficiency in R and/or Python, shell scripting, reproducible workflow managers, and working in High-Performance Computing (HPC) environments.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently while bridging wet-lab experimentalists and clinical data scientists in a multidisciplinary team.
• A strong publication record in peer-reviewed scientific journals demonstrating expertise in computational biology, multi-omics integration, or genetic epidemiology.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

What We Offer

• A 3-year fully funded position in a world-class, collaborative research environment in Copenhagen.
• Direct access to large-scale biobanks, state-of-the-art computational infrastructure, and core facilities.
• Strong international mobility opportunities, including research stays with international collaborators, and attendance at conferences.
• Salary according to the collective agreement for academics employed in the Danish regions (‘Overenskomst for akademikere ansat i regioner’) or (if the applicant is an MD) the agreement for young medical doctors ( ‘Overenskomst for Yngre læger’).

Application Procedure
To apply, please submit your application electronically before 25 September 2026, 23:59 CET.

Please address any questions to Stefan Stender ([email protected]) or Jesper Andersen ([email protected]).

Your application must include:

• Cover Letter detailing your motivation, relevant computational background, and research interests (max 2 pages).
• CV including education, work experience, and computational skill set.
• Complete List of Publications highlighting your key computational or analytical contributions.
• Diplomas and Transcripts (PhD and MSc).
• Contact information for 2–3 academic references (recommendation letters optional)

Lokation: Rigshospitalet