The University of Copenhagen is offering a fully funded PhD fellowship in forensic genetics, focusing on forensic omics and the analysis of complex samples. The position is based at the Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, and is part of a research project aimed at improving the recovery and interpretation of genetic evidence in rape and sexual assault cases, particularly those involving low-quantity and challenging semen samples.

The PhD project centers on advanced human identification (HID) using whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS) to address the 'mixture problem'—the prevalence of multi-donor samples in forensic casework. The research is primarily dry-lab, involving the development of analytical pipelines and bioinformatic tools to resolve complex mixtures. Two main strategies are explored: isolating individual cells for single-cell sequencing and developing bioinformatic methods to deconvolute mixed DNA and RNA profiles.

The successful candidate will join an internationally recognized research group with a dynamic team of professors, associate professors, senior researchers, postdocs, and PhD students. The project is supervised by Associate Professor Jeppe Dyrberg Andersen (University of Copenhagen), with co-supervision from Associate Professor Mikkel Meyer Andersen (Aalborg University) and Senior Researcher Claus Børsting (University of Copenhagen).

Applicants must hold a Master's degree in statistics, computational biology, bioinformatics, genetics, molecular biomedicine, biology, or a related field. Strong English skills, experience in interdisciplinary environments, and willingness to travel for experiments are required. Preferred candidates will have a robust background in bioinformatics or genetics, experience with genetic data analysis in Linux/Unix, programming skills (R or Python), and statistical data processing expertise.

The fellowship includes a three-month research assistant contract followed by a three-year PhD position. The minimum monthly salary is DKK 33,564.04 (research assistant) and DKK 31,242.75 (PhD fellow), both with pension contributions. The position is full-time (37 hours/week) and governed by Danish academic employment agreements.

To apply, submit your application in English via the University of Copenhagen job portal, including a cover letter, CV, diplomas, transcripts, and any publications. The application deadline is April 1, 2026. For more information, contact the principal supervisor, Associate Professor Jeppe Dyrberg Andersen ([email protected]).

Keywords: forensic genetics, human identification, whole genome sequencing, whole transcriptome sequencing, bioinformatics, genetics, multi-omics, mixture problem, DNA sequencing, RNA sequencing.