PhD fellowship/scholarship - Mechanistic Insights into the Effects of Foodborne Natural Toxin Co-Exposure on MASH Using Human-Relevant In Vitro Models

Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Food Science programme. The position is available from 1 January 2027 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.

Title:
Mechanistic Insights into the Effects of Foodborne Natural Toxin Co-Exposure on MASH Using Human-Relevant In Vitro Models

Research area and project description:
Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a progressive liver disease with a substantial and growing global health burden. Increasing evidences suggest that environmental and dietary exposures may also contribute to liver dysfunction and disease progression. However, the role and underlying mechanisms of foodborne natural toxins remain insufficiently understood, particularly under realistic co-exposure scenarios. Foodborne natural toxins may affect multiple cellular pathways involved in liver metabolism, inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and other processes relevant to the development and progression of MASH.

Your primary focus will be conducting research to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of foodborne natural toxin co-exposure in the context of MASH using human-relevant in vitro models. You will establish and apply relevant hepatic in vitro models and new approach methodologies (NAMs) to investigate how exposure to foodborne natural toxins may influence key biological processes associated with MASH. Depending on the research objectives, the work may include the investigation of processes related to lipid accumulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation, and other key mechanisms relevant to MASH.

At AU-FOOD, the selected PhD researcher will be supervised by Associate Professor Martin Krøyer Rasmussen (main supervisor) and Assistant Professor Mohamed Fathi Abdallah (co-supervisor). The successful candidate will become part of a growing research group (AU FOOD TOX) focused on understanding the health effects of natural and emerging food contaminants.

• Project description. For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Specific competences and experience within the following areas are required:

• Applicants must hold a relevant master’s degree (120 ECTS) in toxicology, biomedical science, molecular biology, biotechnology, food science, or a related field.
• Experience with in vitro toxicology and cell culture is essential.
• A strong interest in investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying chemical- or toxin-induced adverse effects is required.
• Experience with human-relevant in vitro models, such as hepatic cell models, 3D cell culture, spheroids, organoids, or other advanced in vitro systems, is considered an advantage.
• Experience with molecular and cellular techniques relevant to toxicology, such as gene expression analysis, protein analysis, microscopy, biochemical assays, or functional cellular assays, is considered an advantage.

In addition, applicants are expected to:

• Be fluent in English (written and spoken).
• Demonstrate strong scientific communication and academic writing skills.
• Work independently while contributing constructively to the research team.
• Show commitment to quality, integrity, creativity, and collaboration.
• Be open to conducting an international research stay (in an EU country) during the PhD program.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Dept of Food Science, Agro Foodpark 48, 8200 Aarhus N., Denmark.

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information regarding the PhD position are invited to contact:

• Associate Professor Martin Krøyer Rasmussen, martink.rasmussen@food.au.dk (main supervisor)
• Tenure Track Assistant Professor Mohamed Fathi Abdallah, mfa@food.au.dk (co-supervisor)
  

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide. If answers cannot be found there, please contact:

• admission.gradschool.tech@au.dk
  

How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application. Application deadline is 20 September 2026 23:59 CEST. Preferred starting date is 1 January 2027.

Please note:

• Only documents received prior to the application deadline will be evaluated. Thus, documents sent after deadline will not be taken into account.
• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.
  

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.