Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student), Inhalation Toxicology

University of Eastern Finland; Pohjois-Savo; On-site; EUR 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible multi-location work

Professional development

Extensive occupational health care

Staff training

Lunch discounts on campus

Job summary

The University of Eastern Finland invites applications for a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) to join the Inhalation Toxicology Laboratory (INTOLA) at the Kuopio campus. The role is fixed-term from 1 November 2026 to 31 August 2030, within the NFITSE project funded by the Academy Fellowship.

You will pursue doctoral studies, contribute to project planning, scientific writing and grant applications, and supervise Bachelor’s and Master’s students while collaborating with national and

Qualifications

• Eligibility for postgraduate studies (Master's or equivalent) in a related field.
• Acceptance criteria for LUMETO Doctoral Programme (Doctoral Programme in Science, Forestry and Technology).
• Good command of written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Pursue doctoral studies and complete required courses.
• Contribute to NFITSE project planning, write scientific articles, and apply for grants.
• Supervise Bachelor’s and Master’s students and collaborate with partners.
• Engage in interdisciplinary research at the interface of inhalation toxicology, cell biology and space health.

Skills

lab skills

aerosol measurement

cell culture

communication

data analysis

travel willingness

research planning

Education

Master's degree in biochemistry / cell biology / environmental exposure sciences

Tools

microgravity simulation platform

cell culture equipment

Job description

The University of Eastern Finland is inviting applications for a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) position to join the Inhalation Toxicology Laboratory at the Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences on the Kuopio campus. The position will be filled for a fixed term as from 1 November 2026 (or as agreed).

Role and salary

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with solid laboratory skills to join the Inhalation Toxicology Laboratory Research group (INTOLA) (website) as a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) at the Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland. The appointed person will work in the Novel Frontiers in Inhalation Toxicology: The Human Respiratory Tract in Space Environments (NFITSE) project (website), which is an Academy Fellowship project funded by the Research Council of Finland.

The main duty of the Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) is to pursue their doctoral studies by actively contributing to the project and completing the required courses outlined in the doctoral programme. In addition, the position provides opportunities to engage in research planning, scientific writing, grant applications, collaborative projects and supervision of Bachelor’s and Master’s students.

The Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) will gain interdisciplinary expertise at the interface of inhalation toxicology, cell biology, and space health, while benefiting from collaboration opportunities with both national and international research partners.

The space sector has undergone remarkable expansion in recent years, with a substantial increase in the number of space launches and individuals exposed to the space environment. The new era of commercial spaceflights, space tourism, and upcoming lunar exploration missions has highlighted the need to better understand the health effects of space-specific environmental factors, particularly microgravity. Despite this growing interest, the impact of microgravity on respiratory biology and inhalation toxicology remains inadequately understood. This project aims to address this knowledge gap by investigating cellular endpoints, such as immune responses and epithelial barrier integrity, under simulated microgravity conditions using advanced human in vitro models.

In addition to generating new scientific knowledge, the project will establish space toxicology as a new research focus at the University of Eastern Finland and contribute to the development of an emerging field of environmental health research in Finland. The research will involve extensive cell culture work using multiple respiratory cell lines and advanced co-culture models, the operation of a microgravity simulation platform, and the assessment of a broad range of toxicological endpoints.

The position will be filled for a fixed term as from 1 November 2026 to 31 August 2030 (or starting date as agreed). The position will be filled for a fixed term due to the Doctoral Researcher’s (PhD Student’s) own doctoral dissertation work and studies. A trial period is applied to all new members of the staff.

The salary of the position is determined in accordance with the salary system for Finnish universities. The salary comprises two components: a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. For a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student), the job-related salary element is based on levels 2–4 of the job requirement level chart for teaching and research staff depending on the stage of the applicant’s doctoral research and postgraduate studies. The personal salary element is 6–50% of the job-related salary element. At the beginning of the employment, the total salary will be approximately EUR 2,710–2,845 /month.

Requirements

• eligibility for postgraduate studies; i.e., holding a Master’s degree or equivalent related to biochemistry, cell biology, environmental exposure sciences, or a related field, awarded by a university or by a university of applied sciences, or having completed an applicable study programme abroad which in the awarding country gives eligibility for corresponding postgraduate education
• meeting the student admission criteria for the LUMETO doctoral programme (Doctoral Programme in Science, Forestry and Technology, website)
• a good command of written and spoken English

Students in the final stages of their Master’s degree may also apply, provided that they complete their degree and deliver a copy of their degree certificate to the faculty by 14 October 2026.

Applicants who do not yet have the right to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Eastern Finland are not required to apply for a study right at the application stage. If the applicant is selected for the position and applies for a postgraduate study right, the selection will be conditional until the right to pursue postgraduate studies in the faculty’s doctoral programme has been granted. The application for a postgraduate study right is submitted through the Studyinfo (Opintopolku) service.

Advantages

• experience in basic laboratory tasks
• experience in aerosol measurement and/or cell culture
• good communication and presentation capabilities
• the ability to plan and execute novel research with assistance
• readiness to travel and work abroad
• the ability to work in international and multidisciplinary research teams
• experience in data analysis

Your benefits

• opportunity for flexible multi-location work
• excellent opportunities for professional development and continuous learning
• extensive occupational health care
• broad selection of staff training
• staff discount on lunch in our campus restaurants, as well as on a range of other services
• affordable sports services

You will have an opportunity to work in a meaningful role as part of our international, creative, participatory and inclusive academic community.

Enjoy your life in Finland! Known for its cleanliness, welfare know-how, modern technology and superb education system, Finland is an exotic and safe country to work in. Please visit the Life in Finland section on our website to learn more.

Questions?

For further information on the position, please contact Postdoctoral Researcher Henri Hakkarainen, email: [e-mail], tel. [phone].

For further information on the application procedure, please contact HR Specialist Iiris Korhonen, e‑mail: [e-mail], tel.: [phone] or HR Specialist Noora Hämäläinen, e‑mail: [e-mail], tel.: [phone].

The Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology operates on the Kuopio and Joensuu campuses of the University of Eastern Finland. The mission of the faculty is to carry out internationally recognised scientific research and to offer research-education in the fields of natural sciences, forestry and technology. The faculty invests in all of the strategic research areas of the university. The faculty’s environments for research and learning are international, modern and multidisciplinary. The faculty has approximately 2,650 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and some 440 postgraduate students. The number of staff amounts to 650.

The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is the most multidisciplinary university in Finland. Our university employs approximately 3,200 employees, and our community includes approximately 17,000 degree students and 16,000 adult education students. The number of campuses is located in Joensuu and Kuopio. We represent the world’s cutting edge of research in many fields and produce research-based knowledge, which is made openly available to benefit everyone. Learn more about our university at www.uef.fi/en. Read also about UEF as a working community and employer and the career stories of our employees.