Job Description

We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled

Postdoctoral Researcher / Bioinformatician

to join our collaborative, multidisciplinary research team applying single-cell methodologies to study treatment resistance in ovarian cancer.

Vähärautio lab ( https://vaharautiolab.org/) at the Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, is seeking a bioinformatician or a computer scientist with strong analytical skills and experience on omics data, and basic understanding of biology to study therapy resistance mechanisms and dynamics in ovarian cancer.

Our research focuses on understanding and manipulating the dynamics of therapy-resistance by combining advanced molecular biology method development to multi-omic single-cell analyses of both ex vivo models and clinical tumor specimens. Our novel, in-house methodologies combining lineage tracing and molecular recording allow us to study how cellular history primes resistance and enables adaptive responses during therapy. We further aim to identify and validate the functional drivers of these patterns and counteract these with correctly timed adjuvant treatments.

The candidate will join a dynamic and collaborative multidisciplinary research group with ca. 50-50 balance of dry and wet lab scientists at the University of Helsinki. We also collaborate broadly both within our University and internationally, so you would be part of a broad, active and versatile research community.

We are particularly interested in candidates with:

Strong computational and bioinformatics expertise combined with interest in cancer biology and gene regulation. Background can be PhD or even MSc if the candidate has gained solid experience in relevant omics analyses (esp. Single-cell methodologies and/or multi-omics). Experience in live cell image analysis, and/or metabolic analyses is a plus, as we also have projects that would benefit from these.

This position is ideal for someone excited about working at the interface of basic biology, cancer, data science, and translational medicine but with an interest to flexibly collaborate across the lab’s projects rather than lead a project of their own.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to scientific publications and project development in an assisting/supportive role (i.e., the role would not aim for first or last author publications)
• Flexibly embark on various data analysis tasks that support lab projects that mostly consist of single-cell transcriptomics analyses, as well as potentially other data layers (ATAC-seq, CROP-seq, spatial, live cell imaging, metabolic analyses)
• Adapt and apply computational approaches for translational cancer research
• Collaborate closely with experimental scientists, clinicians, and bioinformaticians

Requirements

Either:

• • PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, systems biology, or a related field (Post-doctoral position); OR:
  • MSc with strong background in single-cell omics analyses (Research Assistant or Specialist position, depending on level of experience). However, please note that this is not a PhD student position.

• Strong interest in gene regulation dynamics, cancer research, and translation medicine
• Experience in computational analysis of biological data
• Experience with single-cell, transcriptomics, spatial biology, or other omics data analysis approaches
• Programming skills in R, Python, or equivalent
• Ability to work independently while flexibly contributing actively to an interdisciplinary research team
• Sufficient communication skills and fluency in English

We especially value scientific collaborative spirit, curiosity, initiative, and the ability to bridge computational and biological thinking.

The chosen applicant is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki.

We offer

• An inspiring and international research environment at the interface of computational, translational, and clinical cancer research
• Possibility to broadly contribute to lab projects and to collaborate with multidisciplinary lab members
• Access to unique patient-derived datasets and cutting-edge technologies
• Opportunities to work closely with experimental researchers, clinicians, and computational scientists
• A collaborative, ambitious, and supportive multidisciplinary team
• Opportunities to contribute to high-impact cancer research and deeper understanding of cellular dynamics in cancer

The salary will be commensurate with qualifications based on the Finnish university salary (YPJ) system on previous qualifications, experience and performance in the position. The contract will initially be offered for two years, and may be extended. A 6-month trial period will be applied.

The University of Helsinki provides its staff with occupational health and fitness services as well as professional development opportunities ( https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/why-university-helsinki/staff-benefits) International staff are supported in relocating to Finland ( https://www.helsinki.fi/fi/node/350)

How to apply

The call is open until 18th of September 2026, but we might close the call whenever we find a suitable applicant, so please send your application soon. We hope that the selected candidate could start as soon as possible.

Applications must include:

• CV including 3 highlighted publications, and short description of your role in them
• Motivation letter describing your research interests, previous experience, and how your profile matches the position and research topics of our team (no more than 2 pages)
• Contact information for referees

We value authentic, self-made applications over those generated by artificial intelligence.

For further inquiries, please contact Project Coordinator Alyce Whipp at alyce.whipp (at) helsinki.fi.

If you need technical support with the recruitment system, please contact HelsinkiUni Help at uni-help (at) helsinki.fi.

About Us

The Faculty of Medicine promotes high quality scientific research. It provides research-based undergraduate and postgraduate education in medicine, dentistry, psychology and logopedics, and an international Master's Program in Translational Medicine. It also offers psychotherapist education. In addition to its teaching and research activities, the Faculty serves as a significant expert organization in the healthcare sector and contributes to the discourse on ethics in the field. The Faculty aims to be one of the best medical research faculties in the world, while rein-forcing its status as a distinguished institution of multidisciplinary education in healthcare.

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Helsinki constitutes the academic medical center together with HUS Helsinki University Hospital and the Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE). This medical center has been successful in international comparisons, ranking among the top 10 medical campuses in Europe and the top 50 globally.

A diverse and equitable study and work culture is important to us. That is why we do our best to promote an inclusive university community. We encourage all qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for our positions.

Click this link to read about accessibility and inclusivity at our University.

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