Two postdoc postions - one computational and one wet lab – in Hypoxia Biology and Genome Regulation

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

Come and join the Kragesteen lab at the department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (MBB) at Karolinska Institutet/Biomedicum and decipher the molecular logic of oxygen homeostasis that is central to human health - with world-class facilities, passionate biomedical scientists, a buzzing capital, and scenic nature at your doorstep.

Oxygen homeostasis is essential for human survival, yet how it is sensed, regulated, and encoded at the genomic level across cell types is unclear. Central to this system are the Norn cells—a rare, fibroblast-like kidney cells that we recently discovered and molecularly defined as the exclusive source of erythropoietin (EPO), the hormone that controls red blood cells production and thereby systemic oxygen supply. Norn cells serve as a key oxygen sensor, coupling tissue hypoxia to systemic responses. However, the gene regulatory mechanisms governing Norn cell function and consequently oxygen homeostasis remain unexplored because the cells are scarce, hard to access, and human model systems are lacking.

The Kragesteen group develops human kidney organoid models of red blood cell regulation and uses mouse hypoxia models coupled with genome editing and single cell omic tools to map and manipulate oxygen-sensing circuitry. By unravelling the molecular logic of oxygen sensing through the lens of Norn cells and Tibetan hypoxia adaptation, you will establish a new framework to understand how genomes maintain systems oxygen levels and adapt to fluctuating environments. This proposed work aims to uncover fundamental principles of homeostasis and open translational avenues for treating hypoxia-related diseases such as chronic kidney disease and anemia

Your mission

We are looking for highly motivated and enthusiastic postdoctoral researchers with a strong interest in development, genome regulation, and single-cell technologies to investigate molecular mechanisms of oxygen homeostasis and human fitness.

Wet lab postdoc

Main responsibilities include:

iPSC cell culturing and development of 3D models of kidney development
Genome/epigenome CRISPR editing of iPSCs/mice
Systems hypoxia studies in mice models
Flow cytometry, microscopy, and other molecular technology tools
Application of advanced single-cell, multimodal, and spatial epigenome profiling technologies
Sharing insights via internal/international presentations and peer-reviewed publications
Supervision of MSc and PhD student projects
Writing reports, manuscripts, and documentation

Computational postdoc

Main responsibilities include:

Routine analysis and integration of single cell and spatial multiomic datasets
Enhancer–gene linking / GRNs / cis-regulatory grammar
Linking TFs to specific regulatory elements
sequence + chromatin-informed models (foundation models, multimodal deep learning, sequence2function models)
Analysis and integration of Tibetan population genomics data and other evolutionary relevant datasets
Sharing insights via internal/international presentations and peer-reviewed publications
Supervision of MSc and PhD student projects
Writing reports, manuscripts, and documentation

Your profile

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctoral researcher, a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree is required. This eligibility requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time of the employment decision. It is considered as an advantage if you have completed your doctoral degree within the last three years, if there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier.

We welcome applications from candidates with a doctoral degree in Molecular Biology, Biomedicine, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or other related fields. The successful candidate is a curious, motivated, and responsible scientist with good communication and organizational skills who enjoys working with people and take pride in delivering work of good quality.

The work requires:

Expertise in various molecular biology techniques including cell culture.
Experience with mouse models, human induced pluripotent stem cells and organoids, genome editing, and sc-omic approaches are a merit.
Expertise in Computational Biology and data analysis using R/Python or similar.
Experience with single cell multiomics analysis is a merit.
Experience with population genetics analysis is a merit.
Proficiency in English and excellent communication skills.

The applicant must be able to integrate well into the international and multidisciplinary environment. Personal suitability is therefore of great importance.

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. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several benefits through our collective agreement.

Location: Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Solna

Application

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

A complete curriculum vitae, including date of the thesis defense, title of the thesis, previous academic positions, academic title, current position, academic distinctions, and committee work
A complete list of publications
A summary of current work (no more than one page)
A short motivation letter (in English and no more than one page)

Welcome to apply at the latest April 7th, 2026.

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

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