PhD in Computational Genomics and Precision Medicine

PhD Fellow Position at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research

The University of Copenhagen is seeking a highly motivated and talented PhD fellow to commence January 1, 2027, or after agreement in the Rasmussen Group at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR), University of Copenhagen.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR) is an academic research center that pioneers groundbreaking research towards better cardiometabolic health. Through collaborative interdisciplinary research from single-cell genomics to whole-body systems, CBMR aims to transform the basic understanding of cardiometabolic health and accelerate its translation into prevention and treatment strategies. The Center's uniquely multi- and interdisciplinary approach combines research in genetics, physiology, and pharmacology, to better understand the complex interplay of the many factors that drive cardiometabolic disease.

CBMR was established in 2010 at the Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences and has been located in the Maersk Tower at Panum since 2017. The around 260 employees create an international, highly collaborative research environment across disciplines.

The Rasmussen Lab develops and applies advanced AI and bioinformatics methods to understand cardiometabolic disease and advance precision health. A central focus is the creation of AI-driven medical digital twins by integrating large-scale genomics, multi-omics, and longitudinal health data. We are an interdisciplinary and collaborative team spanning machine learning, computational biology, and clinical research, working closely with leading international academic partners. The group provides a supportive, inclusive, and international environment, where we value diversity across backgrounds and career stages and foster a culture of teamwork, open science, and mutual support.

The PhD project focuses on developing highly scalable computational methods for biobank-scale genomics data. The work will develop new approaches for analyzing genetic variation and haplotype information to better understand the genetic basis of complex diseases and improve disease risk prediction across diverse populations. By combining large-scale genomic and health data, the project aims to uncover patterns of genetic ancestry, identify disease-associated genetic variation, and develop more accurate and transferable prediction models. The research sits at the intersection of statistical genetics, computational genomics, and machine learning, with a particular focus on common cardiometabolic diseases. The position offers a unique opportunity to develop novel methodology, work with some of the world's largest biomedical datasets, and contribute to more accurate and equitable genomic precision medicine.

Principal supervisor: Professor, Simon Rasmussen, [email protected]

Co-supervisor: Assistant Professor, Jonas Meisner, [email protected]

Start: January 1, 2027

Duration: 3 years as PhD fellow.

Profile

The PhD fellowship is aimed at early-career researchers with a basic science background who aspire to a career in academic genomics and precision medicine.

• Master's degree in Bioinformatics, Precision Medicine or related sciences. Please note that your master's degree must be equivalent to a Danish master's degree (two years).
• The grade point average achieved
• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Previous publications
• Experience with biobank-scale datasets such as All of Us or UK Biobank
• Experience with developing and validating large-scale diagnostic analyses
• Experience with integrating evolutionary information in protein design models
• Other professional activities
• A curious mindset with a strong interest in developing computational methods in genomics
• Excellent English communication skills, both written and oral

  Terms of Employment

  The employment consists of 3 years as PhD fellow. The starting date is January 1, 2027, or after agreement.

  The employment as PhD fellow 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.

  Questions

  For further information about the position, please contact Assistant Professor Jonas Meisner or Professor at [email protected], Simon Rasmussen at [email protected]. For questions regarding the recruitment procedure, please contact HR at [email protected].

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

  The University of Copenhagen International Staff Mobility office offers support and assistance to all international researchers on all issues related to moving to and settling in Denmark.

  Application Procedure

  Your online application must be submitted in English via the 'Apply now' link below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

  • Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
  • CV incl. education, experience, language skills, and other skills relevant to the position
  • Certified copy of original Master's diploma 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.
  • List of publications
  • References (name and contact details of at least two references)

    Application Deadline: 1 October 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 for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment work has been completed, each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

    You can read about the recruitment process at www.employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process.

    The applicant will be assessed according to Ministerial Order No. 242 of March 13, 2012, on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

    The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their personal backgrounds.