The University of Copenhagen is seeking a highly motivated and talented PhD fellow to commence on November 15, 2026, or after agreement, in the Sakamoto Group at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR), University of Copenhagen.
About CBMR
- 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 pharmaÂcology, to better understand the complex interplay of the many factors that drive cardiometabolic disease.
- You can learn more in the Executive Summary of CBMR’s Strategy 2024–2028.
- 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.
Project description.
Maintenance of energy and glucose homeostasis is essential for metabolic health. Our group has previously shown that glucose utilization in skeletal muscle and liver is governed by coordinated regulation through reversible phosphorylation and allosteric control, using novel knock-in mouse models expressing metabolic enzymes carrying phospho-deficient or allosteric modulator-binding-deficient mutations.
This project will focus on defining how glucose phosphorylation by hexokinase 2, together with its allosteric negative feedback regulation, controls skeletal muscle glucose flux and utilization in vivo, and how this contributes to whole-body glucose homeostasis under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
The successful candidate will perform biochemical analyses combined with structure-guided mutagenesis (cell-free and cell-based assays) to identify allosteric modulator-resistant mutants, as well as in vivo preclinical studies in multiple genetic mouse models, including metabolic phenotyping and assessment of glucose homeostasis.
Job description.
Your key tasks as a PhD student at SUND are:
- Carrying through an independent research project under supervision.
- Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points.
- Participating in active research environments, including a stay at another research team.
- Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
- Teaching and disseminating your knowledge.
- Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project
Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
- Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project, e.g., biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, or molecular biomedicine.
- Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years).
Other important criteria are:
- Hands-on experience in performing cell culture experiments (e.g., transfection/gene editing, drug treatment), biochemical/metabolic analysis (e.g., enzyme assays, metabolomics), and cell signalling (e.g., Western blotting, proteomics)
- Hands-on experience in conducting in vivo preclinical studies and metabolic phenotyping (FELASA certified or similar)
- Ability to manage and analyze complex data sets
- A curious and critical mindset with strong self-motivation to develop new knowledge and treatment for complex cardiometabolic diseases
- Ability to work independently and work as a team player
- Excellent English communication skills, both written and oral
Application procedure
Your application must be submitted electronically through the official application portal.
The application must include the following documents in PDF format:
- Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
- CV incl. education, experience, language skills, and other skills relevant for 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 a language other 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.
- Publication list (if possible)
Application deadline: August 10, 2026, 23:59 CET
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact:
- Professor Kei Sakamoto (sakamoto@sund.ku.dk)
- Or Marianne Jensen, PhD (jensen@sund.ku.dk).
For questions regarding the recruitment procedure, please contact:
- SUND HR CBMR at hr-cbmr@adm.ku.dk.
International applicants may find these links useful:
- ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility)
- And https://www.workindenmark.dk/.
General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/
- Start: November 15, 2026
- Duration: 3 years as PhD fellow
