PhD fellowship in Exercise and Respiratory Physiology

PhD Project in

The role of the beta₂-adrenergic system for exercise metabolism, lung Function, and performance

The Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports
Faculty of SCIENCE

University of Copenhagen

The Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in exercise and respiratory physiology.

Start date is (expected to be) on 1 July 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project

This PhD project aims to investigate the role of beta2-adrenergic system for exercise metabolism, lung function and performance in humans. When examining performance, a particular emphasis will be placed on lung physiology and muscle adaptations. Additionally, the research will explore sex differences in physiological responses.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates within the field(s) of human physiology, sports science or other fields related to exercise physiology. Applicants must hold qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project. Additional key criteria for assessment include:

• Achievement of top grades in a master’s degree related to exercise physiology
• Excellent written and spoken English language skills
• Experience with conducting human controlled trials
• Knowledge of physiological and metabolic adaptations to exercise training and ergogenic aids
• Previous experience in conducting and analyzing respiratory lung function tests
• Hands-on experience with preparation and analysis of muscle biopsies
• Previous scientific publications

Our group and research- and what do we offer?

The PhD fellow will be a part of the August Krogh Section for Human and Molecular Physiology, which is a part of The Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen and is located in Copenhagen. The section covers a broad area of research related to metabolic, cardiovascular and muscular adaptations to exercise. We focus on performance and health-related benefits of exercise as well as anti-doping issues.

We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories, enabling us to conduct complex human trials and utilize physiological and molecular biological techniques to study the integrated and isolated effects of physical activity and training. The investigations include among other things evaluations of motor function, muscle metabolism, cardiovascular regulation, capillary growth, insulin sensitivity, ion transport, performance, fatigue, muscle activation, thermoregulation and bone mineral density. Pharmacological interventions are often employed. Also, animal and cell culture models are used.

We focus on physiological mechanisms behind observations and conduct studies in which the results can be applied to the everyday life in groups of patients, healthy individuals of different ages and athletes.

The August Krogh Section for Human and Molecular Physiology – University of Copenhagen

The PhD programme is a three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5 3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master’s degree.

Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. human physiology. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks in the regular PhD programmes

• Carry through an independent research project under supervision

• Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

Application and Assessment Procedure

Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include:

Application deadline:

The deadline for applications is 27 April 2025 23:59 GMT 2

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 deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment.

The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.

Københavns Universitet giver sine knap 10.000 medarbejdere muligheder for at udnytte deres talent fuldt ud i et ambitiøst, uformelt miljø. Vi sikrer traditionsrige og moderne rammer om uddannelser og fri forskning på højt internationalt niveau. Vi søger svar og løsninger på fælles problemer og gør ny viden tilgængelig og nyttig for andre.

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