Project openings

Are you interested in working in an environment with a very high scientific level and at the same time a close connection to applications in the market? Would you like to work with highly skilled scientists on developing procedures that will create value for future drug development and healthcare? Then making your Master’s thesis at Minerva Imaging may be just the right thing for you.

Minerva Imaging is a Danish contract research organization (CRO). We were founded in 2011 and are currently more than 100 employees. We provide a range of services to biotech and pharmaceutical companies globally, that help them advance their drug development. We were founded by leading scientists in our field and still have a strong foundation in science. Our two key focus areas are oncology and cardiovascular diseases and the use of in vivo molecular imaging for translational research and drug development.

We are an informal organization with a strong focus on open and honest communication. We value humor and a natural care for one another, e.g. stepping up and lending a helping hand to a colleague when needed.

Project description

Radiopharmaceutical drugs used for cancer therapy are highly selective, designed to kill malignant cells and spare healthy tissues. However, compounds in some drug-classes are bound or reabsorbed in the kidney instead of being excreted in the urine, leading to kidney damage due to the increased radiation. We hypothesize that we can establish a model that can accurately evaluate the radionuclide induced kidney toxicity and thereby speed up the development of safer drugs.

In this project, mice will be treated with radionuclide compounds that are known to induce kidney damage. After treatment, in vivo imaging and blood sampling will be used to evaluate biodistribution and hematology parameters. In addition, both acute and long-term kidney damage will be investigated using renal function measurements and histology. Kidneys will be stained with relevant special stains and immunohistochemical markers and images will be scored manually according to the severity of the damage. Based on the scoring it will be investigated if an AI software can be trained to automatically perform the scoring.

As a master student you will be part of our internal Minerva Imaging Scholar Program. The program is designed to support Minerva Imaging’s continued development as a scientifically driven CRO and focuses on developing novel tools and procedures that expand the capabilities in our focus areas.

The programs we offer are often in areas where we see value in expanding our services for the benefit of our partners and healthcare overall. So, the work you do will often have an application in important drug development and you will be working with scientists and other co-workers who can guide and inspire you in your work efforts.

Applied methods

• In vivo molecular imaging
• Blood sampling
• Renal function
• Organ harvest from mice
• Fixing of tissue for histology
• Processing of tissue for histology
• Cutting of tissue for histology
• Special stain
• Immunohistochemistry (IHC)
• Manual scoring kidney damage
• Training and evaluation of kidney damage by AI-software

Your profile

The ideal candidate must have an interest in animal experiments and enjoy working with histology as well as images. It is essential that you have a positive attitude, are proactive, take ownership of the project and drive it forward. It is also important that you set high quality standards for data deliveries.

You should be on a relevant master’s program (DVM, nature and life sciences, MD, engineer or similar). It is an advantage if you have experience with histology from courses or other projects. It is an advantage if you have already passed a course in laboratory animal science (FELASA category AD or similar), but it is not a requirement.

The project period is 6-12 months and the start date is flexible although Q3, 2023 is preferred. The project is open as both a master’s project and/or research year project. The research year is a unique opportunity to delve deeper into a topic and get a closer look at the world of research and life as a researcher. As a master project, it will also be possible to combine the project with a student job at Minerva Imaging. Throughout the project you will be assigned to an internal senior researcher that will supervise you.

If you have had your appetite whetted for life as a researcher after the project is completed, you will also have the option to apply for an industrial PhD position at Minerva Imaging, as such project will also be available to talented students recurrently.

As a person you are

• A proactive communicator and team-player
• Eager to learn, enthusiastic and passionate
• A problem-solver with strong analytical skills
• Flexible with an ability to thrive in a fast-paced and service-oriented organization

If you are interested in the project and want to learn more or send us an application, please reach out to In-Vivo Pharmacology Department Manager, Trine Bjørnbo Engel; email: tbe@minervaimaging.com. The application must include a short motivated cover letter and a CV.

Are you interested in working in an environment with a very high scientific level and at the same time a close connection to applications in the market? Would you like to work with highly skilled scientists on developing procedures that will create value for future drug development and healthcare? Then making your Master’s thesis at Minerva Imaging may be just the right thing for you.

Minerva Imaging is a Danish contract research organization (CRO). We were founded in 2011 and are currently more than 100 employees. We provide a range of services to biotech and pharmaceutical companies globally, that help them advance their drug development. We were founded by leading scientists in our field and still have a strong foundation in science. Our two key focus areas are oncology and cardiovascular diseases and the use of in vivo molecular imaging for translational research and drug development.

We are an informal organization with a strong focus on open and honest communication. We value humor and a natural care for one another, e.g. stepping up and lending a helping hand to a colleague when needed.

Project description

Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) is a type of heart failure where the heart muscle contracts normally but is too stiff to relax properly during diastole – leading to impaired filling of the heart and thereby reduced cardiac output. This results in the heart not being able to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs and causes symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and edema. HFpEF typically affects elderly people and postmenopausal women, and given the rise in predisposing factors (hypertension, diabetes, and obesity) the global prevalence is increasing. Despite the substantial impact of life quality for patients and great socioeconomic costs, the pathophysiology of HFpEF is poorly understood and there is no curative treatment. Treatment options are limited to management of symptoms and underlying conditions, hence there is an imperative need for ongoing research.

With this project, we seek to develop a mouse model of HFpEF at Minerva Imaging. The aim is to explore and compare two different methods of model induction and investigate disease development through various imaging modalities such as cardiac MRI, PET and SPECT to monitor the progression of the disease. Based on the results we will refine the model to optimize translation to the human variant of the disease.

As a master student you will be part of our internal Minerva Imaging Scholar Program. The program is designed to support Minerva Imaging’s continued development as a scientifically driven CRO and focuses on developing novel tools and procedures that expand the capabilities in our focus areas.

The programs we offer are often in areas where we see value in expanding our services for the benefit of our partners and healthcare overall. So, the work you do will often have an application in important drug development and you will be working with scientists and other co-workers who can guide and inspire you in your work efforts.

Applied methods

• Setup of in vivo mouse model
• Echocardiography
• MRI, PET and SPECT imaging
• Image analysis
• Histology and tissue sampling

Your profile

The ideal candidate should have an interest in animal models as well as cardiovascular research and should be motivated to work with advanced imaging techniques. It is essential that you have a positive attitude, are proactive, take ownership of the project and drive it forward. It is also important that you set high quality standards for data deliveries.

You should be on a relevant master’s program (DVM, nature and life sciences, MD, engineer or similar). It is an advantage if you have already passed a course in laboratory animal science (FELASA category AD or similar), but it is not a requirement.

The project period is 6-12 months and the start date is flexible although Q3, 2023 is preferred. The project is open as both a master’s project and/or research year project. The research year is a unique opportunity to delve deeper into a topic and get a closer look at the world of research and life as a researcher. As a master project, it will also be possible to combine the project with a student job at Minerva Imaging. Throughout the project you will be assigned to an internal senior researcher that will supervise you.

If you have had your appetite whetted for life as a researcher after the project is completed, you will also have the option to apply for an industrial PhD position at Minerva Imaging, as such projects also will be available to talented students recurrently.

As a person you are

• A proactive communicator and team-player
• Eager to learn, enthusiastic and passionate
• A problem-solver with strong analytical skills
• Flexible with an ability to thrive in a fast-paced and service-oriented organization

If you are interested in the project and want to learn more or send us an application, please reach out to Senior Scientist, Mette Flethøj Madsen; email: mef@minervaimaging.com. The application must include a motivated cover letter and a CV.