Postdoc in Bioinformatics and Health Impact Assessment - DTU Food

Are you looking for the best possible foundation for fulfilling your dreams and ambitions within application of bioinformatics to epidemiological research? At DTU National Food Institute, you will play a vital role in advancing bioinformatics tools and pipelines to help prevent and control foodborne diseases.

Food- and waterborne diseases continue to pose major public health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where surveillance systems are often limited or lacking. Traditional laboratory-based methods, widely used in high-income countries, are difficult to implement successfully in these contexts. However, more recent culture-independent detection technologies, such as qPCR and metagenomics, offer new opportunities for effective disease surveillance. Strengthening monitoring and tracking systems is essential for identifying sources and transmission routes, thereby guiding evidence-based interventions that improve food safety and protect public health.

The Risk-Benefit Research Group is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher in Bioinformatics and Health Impact Assessment. You will contribute to an international project focused on establishing a foodborne disease surveillance system in Ethiopia, while also supporting other research activities in the group, such as applying genetic data to health impact assessments.

Responsibilities and qualifications
Your main responsibility will be to lead the bioinfomatic developments and analyses, as well as supporting the epidemiological research and the DTU National Food Institute’s lead in the project. You will be responsible for setting up bioinformatic pipelines and tools for quality checking, detection and quantification of foodborne pathogens in samples collected from humans, animals and food. You will also be responsible for further developing source attribution models based on metagenomic data. Finally, as part of the capacity building activities in the project, you will contribute to the training of public-health professionals and PhD-students.

The day-to-day work will be performed in close collaboration with other researchers in the Risk-benefit Research Group and within the project consortium. Collaboration includes active participation in national and international meetings and conferences, sharing of data and results, and contribution to joint publications.

Additional Tasks Include:

• Contribute to the research group’s research activities by incorporating bioinformatics in e.g., health impact assessments.
• Communicate research results by presenting data at project meetings and international conferences. Write reports and manuscripts for publication.
• Teaching and supervising BSc and MSc student projects and be co-supervisor for PhD students.

As a formal qualification, you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent). 

Other Qualifications And Competences Include:

• Experience with bioinformatics
• Experience with mathematical modelling and programming, including source attribution modelling of foodborne pathogens 
• Experience with health impact assessments e.g., estimation of DALYs
• Experience with cleaning and managing data from extensive databases
• Experience with conducting systematic literature reviews

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility. 

• Salary and terms of employment
• The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union.

The period of employment is 3 years. Starting date is 1 December 2025 (or according to mutual agreement). The position is a full-time position.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

• Further information 
• Further information may be obtained from Prof. Tine Hald, e-mail tiha@food.dtu.dk or Head of research group Morten Poulsen, e-mail: morp@food.dtu.dk 

You can read more about DTU National Food Institute at www.food.dtu.dk/english/

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark.

• Application procedure 
• Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 21 October 2025 (23:59 Danish time). 

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• Application (cover letter)
• CV
• Academic Diplomas (MSc/PhD – in English)
• List of publications 

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

The Research Group for Risk Benefit helps to prevent disease and promote health by developing models and methods within the area of risk benefit assessments of foods. This includes epidemiological modeling with the aim to predict and prevent infectious diseases commonly transmitted through food, and support surveillance and control efforts.

DTU National Food Institute
DTU National Food Institute conducts research into and disseminates - through advice, innovation and teaching - sustainable and value-creating solutions in the area of food and health for the benefit of society. The vision is to make a difference by generating future prosperity through research into food and health. The institute works to prevent disease and promote health, develop new and better food products for a growing population and create sustainable technological solutions, including biosolutions. The institute’s tasks are carried out in interdisciplinary collaboration within e.g. nutrition, chemistry, toxicology, microbiology, epidemiology, modelling, and technology. This is achieved through a strong academic environment of international top class with correspondingly skilled researchers and employees. The Institute employs approximately 350 staff members.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.