Doctoral Researcher in Bioinformatics/Systems Biology

About the opportunity

The Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Helsinki invites applications for a Doctoral Researcher in Bioinformatics/Systems Biology to join the Systems Pharmacology research group. Funded by the Research Council of Finland project “EpiTheraRx: Harnessing Epitranscriptomic Regulation of Alternative Splicing for RNA Therapeutics Innovation,” the role focuses on developing computational approaches to identify disease-relevant alternative splicing events and their epitranscriptomic regulation. The researcher will analyze large-scale single-cell and bulk multi-omics datasets, integrate genomics, epitranscriptomics, and transcriptomics data, and contribute to the development of novel systems biology and bioinformatics methods for RNA therapeutic target discovery. The position is a fixed-term role until August 31, 2030, starting in January 2027.

Salary and benefits

• Starting gross salary typically around 2,500 – 2,700 EUR per month, increasing gradually as PhD work progresses.
• Salary based on the job requirement scheme for teaching and research staff of Finnish universities plus a personal salary component.
• Opportunity to join a newly established and growing research group and contribute to its scientific direction.
• Close and continuous supervision and mentoring.
• Stimulating, international, and interdisciplinary research environment.
• Opportunities to work at the interface of bioinformatics, RNA biology, genomics, and systems medicine.
• Access to national and international collaborators and research networks.
• Support to publish in peer-reviewed international journals and present at scientific conferences.

Who can apply?

• MSc degree in a relevant field (e.g., bioinformatics, biology, biotechnology, biostatistics, computer science, or other related fields).
• Good programming skills in R and/or Python.
• Experience with Unix/Linux environments and bash (considered an advantage).
• Prior experience in preprocessing, analysis, and interpretation of omics data.
• Strong interest in developing expertise in transcriptomics, genomics, and single-cell data analysis.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative research team.
• Must obtain the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki and approval by the Doctoral Programme in Drug Research (DPDR) by the end of the 6-month probationary period.

Required documents

• Motivation letter (max 2 pages) describing interest, contribution, and qualifications.
• Detailed CV (max 2 pages) including contact details, education, prior work/research experience, and a link to the online version of the MSc/licentiate thesis if available.
• Contact information for one or more previous supervisors, employers, or other references/recommendations.
• List of potential publications (if any).

When to apply

• Closing date for applications: September 16th 2026 (23:59 EEST).
• Applications are reviewed during the application period.

How to apply

• Submit application and required attachments in English through the University of Helsinki Recruitment System as a single PDF file (all under the CV section).