Umeå University 2-Year Bioinformatics Postdoctoral Scholarship 2027, Sweden
The Umeå University Bioinformatics Postdoctoral Scholarship 2027 is a two-year research opportunity in Sweden for researchers with a PhD in bioinformatics, computer science, neuroscience, molecular biology, genetics, biomedicine or a related field.
The postdoctoral project is based in the Horváth Lab at the Department of Medical and Translational Biology at Umeå University. The research focuses on brain ageing, transposable elements and epigenetic regulation using advanced sequencing and multi-omics datasets.
The position is full-time for two years and can begin in September 2026 or by agreement. The application deadline is September 11, 2026.
Umeå University Postdoctoral Scholarship 2027 Overview
- Host Country: Sweden
- University: Umeå University
- Location: Umeå, Sweden
- Research Group: Horváth Lab
- Department: Department of Medical and Translational Biology
- Position: Postdoctoral Researcher
- Degree Level: Postdoctoral
- Duration: 2 years
- Study/Research Area: Bioinformatics and ageing biology
- Eligible Fields: Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Neuroscience, Genome Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biomedicine and related disciplines
- Nationality: International researchers can apply
- Language: English
- Funding Type: Postdoctoral scholarship
- Scholarship Duration: Full-time for two years
- Start Date: September 2026 or by agreement
- Application Deadline: September 11, 2026
Degree Level
This is a postdoctoral research opportunity, meaning applicants must have completed a PhD or an equivalent doctoral qualification.
What Will You Research?
The postdoctoral researcher will work on biological mechanisms associated with ageing in the human brain, with particular attention to transposable elements and epigenetic regulation.
The project focuses on white matter and oligodendrocytes in the ageing human brain and uses post-mortem human brain tissue together with several advanced sequencing technologies.
The researcher will analyse and integrate data generated through techniques such as:
Single-nuclei RNA sequencing
Oxford Nanopore long-read DNA sequencing
Oxford Nanopore long-read RNA sequencing
Illumina RNA sequencing
CUT&RUN profiling
DNA methylation analysis
Chromatin analysis
Multi-omics datasets
The project is therefore highly computational and is best suited to researchers who already have practical experience analysing biological datasets.
Available Subjects
Bioinformatics
Computer Science
Neuroscience
Genome Biology
Molecular Biology
Genetics
Biomedicine
Computational Biology
Related biological or computational disciplines
Applicants from Computer Science can also be considered, particularly when their doctoral research involves bioinformatics, genomics, computational biology or biological data analysis.
Benefits
The position provides the opportunity to work in an advanced research environment at Umeå University.
Two-Year Research Opportunity
The scholarship is offered on a full-time basis for two years, allowing the successful researcher to focus on the project without treating it as a short-term research placement.
International Research Environment
The fellow will join an international and multidisciplinary research group working at the intersection of computational biology, neuroscience, genomics and ageing research.
Research Training
The position provides opportunities to strengthen skills in:
Scientific writing
Research leadership
Project management
Communication
Collaboration
Advanced bioinformatics
Multi-omics analysis
Conferences and Workshops
Researchers may participate in national and international conferences, workshops, specialist training and scientific discussions.
Research Independence
The research environment also provides opportunities for researchers to develop new research ideas while receiving mentorship and collaborating with experienced scientists.
Is the Scholarship Fully Funded?
The position is explicitly advertised as a postdoctoral scholarship.
However, the supplied call does not specify a scholarship amount. Applicants should therefore not assume a particular monthly salary or stipend based on other Umeå University positions.
Candidates should verify the latest financial terms directly through the official Umeå University announcement before making relocation or financial plans.
Eligible Nationalities
The opportunity is open to international researchers.
Applicants with a doctoral degree earned outside Sweden can apply if their qualification is considered equivalent to a Swedish PhD.
The research environment is international and multidisciplinary, but applicants must have excellent written and spoken English because the position involves scientific communication and collaboration.
The call does not specify an IELTS or TOEFL score requirement.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants should carefully compare their research profile with the technical requirements of the project.
PhD Requirement
Applicants must have completed a PhD or equivalent foreign doctoral degree by the time the scholarship decision is made.
Researchers who are close to completing their doctorate may also be considered if they can provide evidence showing when the PhD will be completed.
Recent PhD Graduates
Umeå University gives priority to researchers who completed their PhD within the previous three years.
However, researchers who completed their doctorate more than three years ago may still be considered when there are documented circumstances explaining the interruption.
Examples can include:
Parental leave
Illness
Military service
Clinical practice
Other relevant career interruptions
Bioinformatics Experience
Applicants should have demonstrated experience working with biological datasets using computational methods.
Experience in areas such as genomics, epigenomics or transcriptomics is particularly relevant.
Programming Skills
Candidates should have practical experience using programming and computational tools.
Relevant skills include:
R
Python
Shell scripting
Statistical analysis
Bioinformatics pipelines
Data processing
Bioinformatics Tools
Experience with tools such as edgeR, DESeq2 and bedtools is particularly relevant to the project.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate not only that they know these tools but also how they have used computational approaches to answer biological research questions.
Desirable Research Skills
Some additional skills are desirable rather than absolute requirements.
These include:
Single-cell analysis
Long-read sequencing
Supercomputing
Epigenetics
Genome organisation
Transposable-element biology
Multi-omics integration
Computational genomics
Applicants do not necessarily need experience in every area, but a strong background in genomics, transcriptomics or epigenomics can strengthen their application.
Publication Requirements
Research productivity is also important.
Candidates should ideally demonstrate their research experience through:
Peer-reviewed publications
Preprints
Scientific presentations
Research projects
Contributions to computational or biological studies
A publication record can help demonstrate that the applicant is prepared for independent postdoctoral research.
Application Procedure
Required Documents
Applications should be submitted in English or Swedish through Umeå University's recruitment system.
Applicants should prepare:
Cover letter
CV of maximum two pages
Publication list of maximum five pages
Verified PhD certificate
Evidence showing when the PhD will be completed, if applicable
Doctoral thesis, if available
Contact details for two references
The cover letter should be specifically written for this research project rather than using a generic postdoctoral statement.
How to Write a Strong Application
Applicants should clearly connect their previous research with the Umeå project.
For example, if you have worked with RNA sequencing, explain what datasets you analysed, which tools you used and what biological questions you addressed.
If your experience includes Python, R or shell scripting, describe the types of analyses and pipelines you developed.
Researchers with experience in epigenetics, single-cell analysis, long-read sequencing or multi-omics should highlight these skills prominently.
Your application should demonstrate that you can move from computational analysis to meaningful biological interpretation.
Application Deadline
The deadline for the Umeå University Bioinformatics Postdoctoral Scholarship is September 11, 2026.
Applicants should submit their complete application before the deadline through the university's recruitment system.
Because the position is specialised, applicants should allow enough time to prepare the research-focused cover letter, publication list and references.
Who Should Apply?
This opportunity may be a strong fit if you:
Have a PhD in bioinformatics or a related discipline
Have experience analysing genomics, transcriptomics or epigenomics datasets
Use R, Python or shell scripting
Have experience with tools such as DESeq2, edgeR or bedtools
Have a publication record
Are interested in ageing biology
Want to work with brain-related research
Have experience with computational biology
Can communicate effectively in English
Researchers with a purely experimental background and limited computational experience may not be the strongest match for this particular project.
Final Words
The 2-Year Bioinformatics Postdoctoral Scholarship 2027 at Umeå University is a specialised research opportunity for scientists working at the intersection of computational biology, genomics, neuroscience and ageing research.
The project's focus on transposable elements, epigenetics, white matter and oligodendrocytes in the ageing human brain makes it particularly suitable for researchers with strong bioinformatics and multi-omics experience.
Applicants should pay close attention to the technical requirements, especially experience with R, Python, shell scripting, genomics, transcriptomics or epigenomics datasets.
The application deadline is September 11, 2026, so eligible researchers should prepare their documents and submit a research-focused application before the closing date.
