Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medicine, Solna, Immunology and Allergy division

The Department of Medicine, Solna, is one of the largest departments at Karolinska Institutet. The department consists of several divisions that are separated into different research groups. The core activities of the department are research, doctoral education and undergraduate education for medical and biomedical students. The research has three main profiles: allergy, cardiovascular medicine and inflammatory diseases.

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

To be a doctoral student means to devote oneself to a research project under supervision of experienced researchers and following an individual study plan. For a doctoral degree, the equivalent of four years of full-time doctoral education is required.

The research group
Assistant professor Joakim Dahlin recently established a research team at the Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet. The laboratory’s main aim is to decipher normal and aberrant hematopoiesis with focus on mast cell differentiation

The doctoral student project and the duties of the doctoral student
Hematopoietic stem cells exhibit potential to generate mast cells and blood cells. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate mast cell differentiation are largely unknown. The doctoral student will study mast cell differentiation in relation to all other myeloid cells by combining single-cell transcriptomics, cell fate assays, and methods to genetically manipulate cells. The projects include analysis of samples from human subjects (patients with mast cell-related diseases and healthy controls) and experiments involving laboratory animals. A major part of the projects involves single-cell RNA sequencing data analysis.
The doctoral student will be involved in planning and performing experiments, data analysis, as well as presenting and publishing the results. The student will be trained at Karolinska Institutet and by international collaborators.

What do we offer?
A creative and inspiring environment full of expertise and curiosity. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Our vision is to pursue the development of knowledge about life and to promote a better health for all. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. As a doctoral student you are offered an individual research project, a well-educated supervisor, a vast range of elective courses and the opportunity to work in a leading research group. Karolinska Institutet collaborates with prominent universities from all around the world, which ensures opportunities for international exchanges. You will be employed on a doctoral studentship which means that you receive a contractual salary. Employees also have access to our modern gym for free and receive reimbursements for medical care.

Eligibility requirements for doctoral education
In order to participate in the selection for a doctoral position, you must meet the following general (A) and specific (B) eligibility requirements at latest by the application deadline.

It is your responsibility to certify eligibility by following the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

A) General eligibility requirement
You meet the general eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

  1. have been awarded a second-cycle/advanced/master qualification (i.e. master degree) or
  2. have satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the advanced/second-cycle/master level, or
  3. have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.*

Follow the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

*If you claim equivalent knowledge, follow the instructions on the web page Assessing equivalent knowledge for general eligibility for doctoral education.

B) Specific eligibility requirement

You meet the specific eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

- Show proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school.

Follow the instructions on the web page English language requirements for doctoral education.

Verification of your documents
Karolinska Institutet checks the authenticity of your documents. Karolinska Institutet reserves the right to revoke admission if supporting documents are discovered to be fraudulent. Submission of false documents is a violation of Swedish law and is considered grounds for legal action.

Skills and personal qualities
We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic person with combined interest in hands-on laboratory work and bioinformatic analysis. Skills in bioinformatics are necessary for successful application as detailed below.

  • A master degree in Molecular Techniques in Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, or similar is desirable
  • Experience with high-performance computing (HPC) systems is required
  • Experience with UNIX/Linux and Bash/Shell scripting is required
  • Experience with single-cell RNA sequencing data analysis, including python- and R-based implementations such as Scanpy and Seurat, is required
  • Experience with mast cell biology and/or hematopoiesis is desirable
  • Experience with laboratory animals is desirable

Terms and conditions
The doctoral student will be employed on a doctoral studentship maximum 4 years full-time.

Application process
Submit your application and supporting documents through the Varbi recruitment system. Use the button in the top right corner and follow the instructions.

Your application should contain the following documents:

- A personal letter and a curriculum vitae (Swedish or English)
- Degree projects and previous publications, if any (Swedish or English)
- Any other documentation showing the desirable skills and personal qualities described above (Swedish or English)
- Documents certifying your general eligibility (see A above)
- Documents certifying your specific eligibility (see B above)

Selection
A selection will be made among eligible applicants on the basis of the ability to benefit from doctoral education. The qualifications of the applicants will be evaluated on an overall basis.

Karolinska Institutet uses the following bases of assessment:

- Documented subject knowledge of relevance to the area of research
- Analytical skill
- Other documented knowledge or experience that may be relevant to doctoral studies in the subject.

All applicants will be informed when the recruitment is completed.

Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all

Type of employment PhD placement
Contract type Full time
Reference number 2-6125/2019
Contact
  • Joakim Dahlin, joakim.dahlin@ki.se
Union representative
  • Niklas Andersson, OFR, niklas.andersson@ki.se
  • Biborka Bereczky Veress, SACO, 46 70-173 85 75
Published 04.Dec.2019
Last application date 14.Dec.2019 11:59 PM CET

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