Doctoral (PhD) student position in the area of human immune development - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Infectious Medicine (CIM), Michaëlsson lab
A doctoral student is admitted to third-cycle/doctoral education. A doctoral education consists of supervised research, combined with courses and other educational activities. An individual study plan is established for each doctoral student. For a doctoral degree, the equivalent of four years of full-time doctoral education is required.

Department of Medicine Huddinge
The Department of Medicine at Huddinge comprises seven units, three research centers, and around 70 independent research groups. The Center for Infectious Medicine (CIM) is a research unit within the department, with a focus on basic and translational studies of the human immune system, as well as immunity to viral or bacterial infection. CIM is located in the newly renovated laboratory facilities at ANA Futura and offers an attractive and highly collaborative research environment and provides state-of-the-art instrumentation.

Research group
The studies will be conducted in the group of Dr Jakob Michaëlsson.
The Michaëlsson lab has a strong track record in studies of the human immune system, in particular regarding human Natural Killer cells in health and disease. The research program for this position focuses on deciphering the development of human fetal innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) using advanced single cell techniques (flow cytometry, RNAseq) and associated computational methods. The group collaborates closely with other groups at CIM and at Karolinska Institutet, creating a highly interactive environment.   

The doctoral student project and the duties of the doctoral student
Although it is known that the human immune systems develop early in fetal development, it remains largely unknown where, when and how in the fetus different parts of the immune system develops. Deciphering human hematopoietic stem cell differentiation is pivotal for our understanding of immune homeostasis and for the development of therapies in regenerative medicine. The overall aim of the doctoral project is to map human ILC differentiation from hematopoietic progenitors (HPCs) to mature cells in different tissues across human ontogeny at the single cell level.

The successful applicant will acquire knowledge in immunology and fetal development. The work will involve learning and developing research methodologies, including advanced multicolor flow cytometry, RNA sequencing, cell cloning, bioinformatics and computational analysis.

The candidate will learn how to identify and formulate scientific issues, and will plan, execute, understand and discuss research questions, methodologies, and results. An essential part of the work is also to communicate research findings, including writing manuscripts and presenting data to the group as well as to the broader research community, e.g. at international conferences.

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 looking for an enthusiastic, highly motivated, and socially skilled candidate that enjoys working in a collaborative environment. Proven experiences in immunology, flow cytometry, RNA sequencing, cell culture techniques, and prior knowledge in bioinformatics and R programming is meriting. Applicants wishing to integrate computational and experimental biology approaches are especially encouraged to apply. Since the applicant will work in a highly international environment good communication skills (proficiency in spoken and written English) are essential.

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.

KI 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.