Postdoctoral studies in in epigenetic inheritance of maternal diabetes and sex-dimorphic effects in offspring (scholarship)

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

Our lab aims to understand fundamental questions in epigenetic inheritance, i.e. how maternal health and uterine environment functionally affect offspring health by developmental programming. We use mouse model, human cohort samples and state-of-the-art techniques including single-cell sequencing, organoids-on-a-chip, and bioinformatics to understand how the germline and placenta actively responds to maternal conditions and coordinate organ development as well as future metabolic functions. (key lab references: Nature Medicine 2019; Cell Reports Medicine 2023; Cell Reports 2019, 2023, Advanced Sciences 2024). The overall aim is to reveal novel mechanism for future intervention with nanomedicine. Our lab is affiliated to both Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University with access to essential infrastructure and facilities.

Your mission

The focus of this research project is to understand sex dimorphic effects of maternal diabetes on cardiometabolic dysfunction in offspring. You will establish and further develop disease derived placental organoids by incorporating macrophage and fibroblast cells for organoids-on-a-chip coculture.  Your work will decipher placental secretome that is causative in developmental programming and epigenetic inheritance of disease. Furthermore, you will use nanoparticle-based approach developed in the lab to target these regulatory mechanisms to improve offspring health. You will have the opportunity to work with several new techniques recently developed in the lab and have access to our own sequencing facility. The project is a combination of practical laboratory work (wet-lab work) and preferably computational analysis (programming in R and/or Python). Your work also includes supervision of master project students and attendance to seminars and conferences. You are expected plan and execute experiments, analyze data, interpret, and present the results as well as write scientific articles, initially under partial supervision but with greater independence going forward. 

Your profile 

We are seeking a curious, highly motivated, and creative postdoctoral researcher with a strong background in molecular biology, developmental biology, or stem cell biology, along with experience in working with mouse models. Experience with mammalian cell cultures, molecular methods, next-generation sequencing and large-scale bioinformatics analysis is highly preferred. The candidate should also have a good team spirit and bring a keen interest in solving scientific questions. Good interpersonal and communication skills (in English written and verbal) is required. Emphasis will be also placed on personal suitability, fitting well into the current research group.

Entry requirements

Postdoctoral scholarships may be established for foreign researchers who pursue their merit in Sweden. The purpose of scholarships for postdoctoral qualification is to promote internationalization and contribute to research qualification after a doctorate or equivalent.

A scholarship for carrying out postdoctoral research can be granted for a maximum of two years within a four year period following the receipt of a doctoral degree or equivalent.

To be eligible for a postdoctoral scholarship, the person must have obtained a doctorate or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctorate. Applicants who have not completed a doctorate at the end of the application period may also apply, provided that all requirements for a completed degree are met before the (intended) start date of the post doctoral education.

The head of the department determines whether their previous training and scholarly qualifications correspond to a Swedish doctorate or higher.

Type of scholarship

The amount is tax free and it is set for twelve months at a time, paid out on a six months basis. In exceptional cases, shorter periods may be acceptable.

Location: Campus Solna

What do we offer? 

A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. At KI, you get to meet researchers working with a wide range of specialisms and methods, giving you ample opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with the various scientific fields within medicine and health. It is the crossover collaborations, which have pushed KI to where it is today, at the forefront of global research. Several of the people you meet in healthcare are educated at KI. A close relationship with the health care providers is important for creating groundbreaking top quality education and research.

Application process

An application must contain the following documents in English or Swedish:

• A complete curriculum vitae, including date of the thesis defence, title of the thesis, previous academic positions, academic title, current position, academic distinctions, and committee work
• A complete list of publications
• A highlight of current work and past work that you greatly contributed (no more than one page, font 12)  
• A brief motivation letter stating the reason why the candidate is interested in this project (no more than one page, font 12)
• Contact details of two reference persons.

The application is to be submitted on the Varbi recruitment system.

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