Postdoctoral Position in Leptin Gene Regulation, Chromatin Biology, and Adipocyte Genomics University of Southern Denmark in Denmark

The University of Southern Denmark invites applications for a postdoctoral position in the Mandrup Group within the Functional Genomics & Metabolism Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, in Odense, Denmark.

The project investigates the molecular mechanisms regulating human leptin (LEP) gene expression in adipocytes. The postdoctoral fellow will study the cis-regulatory elements, transcription factors, and signaling pathways that control LEP expression during adipocyte differentiation and in mature adipocytes, with particular attention to how chromatin architecture and physiological signals are integrated to regulate leptin production.

The research combines chromatin conformation analyses, including Region-Capture Micro-C and Capture-C, with epigenomic profiling approaches such as ATAC-seq, CUT&Tag, and DynaTag. Genome editing and perturbation methods, including CRISPRi, CRISPR/Cas9, and siRNA-mediated knockdown, will be integrated with transcriptomic and multi-omics analyses. Computational modelling of gene regulatory networks and integration of clinical and physiological data will support the identification of mechanisms governing leptin expression.

The fellow will design and conduct experiments in adipocyte model systems and primary human adipocytes, generate and analyze genomic datasets, and implement advanced molecular, genomic, and computational methods. The role also includes contributing to student supervision, scientific publications, dissemination, and the collaborative development of the project.

The Mandrup Group studies transcriptional control of adipocyte differentiation, three-dimensional chromatin architecture, enhancer communities, and transcription-factor function using sequencing-based, computational, molecular, and loss- and gain-of-function strategies. The group works alongside postdoctoral fellows and PhD students and collaborates with the Center of Excellence in Functional Genomics and Tissue Plasticity (ATLAS), the Center of Adipocyte Signaling (ADIPOSIGN), and international research partners.

The Functional Genomics & Metabolism Research Unit provides an interdisciplinary environment spanning molecular biology, functional genomics, computational biology, and translational research. Its facilities include next-generation sequencing, single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics, flow cytometry, mass spectrometry, metabolomics, bioimaging, cell culture, and dietary intervention and transgenic mouse-model platforms, with strategic links to Odense University Hospital.