Postdoc Position: Endocrine Disruption in Fish with Focus on Histopathological Endpoint Development

Syddansk Universitet; Cortex Park; On-site; DKK 420,000 - 540,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) invites applications for a 3½-year Postdoctoral position in Environmental Toxicology within the Ecotoxicology group of the Department of Biology. The project focuses on developing histopathological and behavioral endpoints in fish, funded by PARC, Danish EPA and SDU.

The successful candidate will advance regulatory toxicology through knowledge of EU legislation (REACH), OECD guidelines, AOP development and risk assessment, with emphasis on zebrafish

Qualifications

• PhD in Environmental Toxicology.

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine histopathology endpoints in fish (tissue prep, microtomy, H&E).
• Conduct behavioral assessments in zebrafish using tracking software.
• Collaborate with regulatory toxicology teams on risk assessment.
• Supervise MSc students and contribute to teaching activities.

Skills

English proficiency

Teaching & supervision

Zebrafish model use

Endocrine disruption knowledge

Regulatory toxicology knowledge

Histopathology techniques

Behavioral assessment software

Education

PhD in Environmental Toxicology

Tools

EthoVision XT

Job description

We invite applicants for a 3½-year Postdoctoral research position in Environmental Toxicology with a focus on histopathological and behavioral endpoints development in fish. The position is funded by the EU Partnership for Risk Assessment of Chemicals (PARC), the Danish EPA and University of Southern Denmark (SDU). The project will be carried out in the Ecotoxicology group at the Department of Biology, SDU.

Qualifications:

The successful candidate must hold a PhD degree in Environmental Toxicology. A strong background in chemical risk and hazard assessment and regulatory toxicology is highly appreciated. This includes knowledge of EU chemicals legislation and regulatory frameworks such as REACH, OECD test guidelines, AOP development, and/or pesticide and biocide risk assessment. Furthermore, the following experiences and skills are required:

• Strong proficiency in English, both written and verbal.

• Experience in teaching and supervision at the university level, including lectures, student examinations, and supervision of MSc students.

• Hands-on experience in assessing endocrine disruption properties of chemicals using the Zebrafish (Danio rerio) model.

• Strong documented knowledge of one or more endocrine pathways relevant to EU regulatory assessments (EATS modalities).

• Extensive experience with OECD fish test protocols such as OECD TG 236 and OECD TG 210.

• Documented experience in histopathology techniques, including tissue preparation, microtome sectioning, cryosectioning, H&E staining, microscopy, and image analysis.

• Experience in behavioral assessment in zebrafish eleutheroembryos, e.g., using EthoVision XT or equivalent tracking and analysis software.

The following qualifications are considered advantageous:

• Experience with molecular biology techniques, including gene expression analysis (e.g., qPCR, transcriptomics).

• Experience with immunohistochemistry and related imaging techniques.

This position is particularly suited for a candidate with strong interest in bridging experimental ecotoxicology and regulatory chemical risk- and hazard assessment.
Application deadline: 13. November 2026 at 23:59 hours local Danish time.