Postdoctoral Fellowship (2 years) with a focus on determinants and consequences of the oral microbiome, at Umeå university

The Department of Odontology is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within the project “Determinants and consequences of the oral microbiome across the life course: Implications for health and disease.” The scholarship is full-time for 2 years, starting in spring 2026 or by agreement. The deadline for submitting an application is 1st of March, 2026.

Departmental specific information 

The Department of Odontology comprises approximately 70 employees and delivers education across Dental Hygiene, Dentistry, and Dental Technology, alongside a vibrant program of oral health and microbiome research.

Project description  

Human‑colonizing bacteria, and their functions, are increasingly recognized as central to health, well-being, and disease. While landmark work has focused on the gut, the oral microbiome remains comparatively underexplored. Most studies have mapped downstream effects to identify disease-associated taxa, leaving a major gap regarding upstream determinants that shape oral ecology and the resulting downstream host consequences. Existing evidence indicates that the oral microbiome is influenced by host genetics and environmental exposures, with their relative importance varying across the life course. Depending on these upstream factors, oral ecology can shift from eubiosis to dysbiosis, leading to systemic responses and disease. 

Overall aims of the project are to:

• Map and evaluate upstream determinants of oral microbiome.
• Map downstream dysbiosis-related effects at molecular depth and assess links to disease.

You will join a collaborative team working at the intersection of genetics, epidemiology, bioinformatics, and microbiome science to generate analyses that can change how we understand and ultimately prevent disease via the oral ecosystem.

The two year long postdoctoral project is financed by the Kempe Foundations. 360 000 SEK each year and is taxfree.

Qualifications 

We seek a driven and motivated bioinformatician to contribute to our research program

Eligibility:

• A PhD (or foreign degree deemed equivalent) in bioinformatics, epidemiology, statistics, or a closely related field, awarded before the fellowship decision date.
• Documented experience in research projects within the scope of the awarded degree.

Required competencies:

• Strong background in bioinformatics (e.g., R, Linux, Python).
• Experience working with large cohorts and high-dimensional data.
• Experience with microbiome analysis and/or GWAS.
• Excellent English communication skills, both written and spoken.

Meritorious (preferred) experience:

• Experience/training with server-based analyses, e.g., Uppsala Multidisciplinary Center for Advanced Computational Science (UPPMAX).

We are looking for a dynamic, curious postdoctoral researcher to join Anders Esberg’s group, someone who enjoys independent and critical thinking, finds research stimulating, and wants to grow with us.

The post-doctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirement must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the decision about scholarship recipient. 

Priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years before the application deadline. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree before that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organizations, military service, or similar circumstances, or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area.

Application  

A complete application should include:

1. A cover letter clearly describing your qualifications, your research interests, your motives for applying, and how you meet the mandatory and meriting criteria for the position (1-3 pages);
2. Curriculum vitae (CV) with publication list;
3. Copy of the doctoral degree certificate, or documentation clearly stating the expected date of completion of the doctoral degree.
4. A copy of your doctoral thesis (PDF or a download link);
5. Copies of other relevant degree certificates;
6. Contact information of at least two reference persons;
7. (optional) Other documents that the applicant wishes to supply.

The application should be written in English or Swedish, and the attached documents should be in Word or PDF format. The application should be registered via Umeå University’s e-recruitment system Varbi. The deadline for submitting an application is 1st of March, 2026.

Further information 

For further information about this project, please contact Anders Esberg at anders.esberg@umu.se.

We look forward to receiving your application!