Turku Collegium for Science and Medicine selected five new Postdoctoral Researchers

The first TCSM postdoctoral researchers were selected in 2016. The international call for applications for postdoctoral researcher positions organised in November–December 2019 was the fourth of its kind for TCSM. As with all the previous calls for applications, five postdoctoral researchers were selected. The researchers selected will be placed in a department within the Faculty of Science and Engineering or the Faculty of Medicine. Those selected from this application period may begin their term of employment from August this year, but must begin at the start of 2021 at the latest. An additional one year funding period was granted this year as a continuation of one researcher’s two year postdoctoral research funding.

In the selection process, emphasis was placed on applicants’ international experience, career phase, and research plan, and the links of said research plan to ongoing research at the University of Turku. All postdoctoral researchers selected must join an existing research group at the University of Turku, or must have an appointed supervisor for their work.

– All postdoctoral researchers selected will arrive from abroad, and in addition Finland are from Spain, India or France. We place importance on international experience. We looked for researchers who would contribute something new to the University of Turku research community, and who had potential for an independent researcher career, said Professor Sirpa Jalkanen, chair of TCSM board.

The selection process for postdoctoral researchers consisted of two stages. First, the TCSM board evaluated all applications and, based on the evaluation, selected 12 candidates for interviews. Selections were made based on the evaluations and the interviews.

TCSM Postdoctoral researchers selected, and their department and supervisor

Mikel Calle
Department of Geography and Geology
Supervisor: Prof. Petteri Alho

Tharun Kumar Kotammagari
Department of Chemistry
Supervisor: Assit. Prof. Tuomas Lönnberg

Johannes Nokkala
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Supervisor: Prof. Sabrina Maniscalco

Riikka Peltomaa
Department of Biochemistry
Supervisors: Prof. Tero Soukka and Assoc. Prof. Urpo Lamminmäki

Pankaj Kumar Singh
Institute of Biomedicin
Supervisor: Prof. Olli Pentikäinen

Gautier Follain (1 year funding)
Turku Bioscience
Supervisor: Prof. Johanna Ivaska

In the future, TCSM postdoctoral researcher positions will be filled annually. The goal of this regular selection process is to maintain a group of 10–15 postdoctoral researchers supported by TCSM actively working at the University of Turku. The next call for applications will be in November–December this year.