Bioinformatics postdoc for gene regulation in the brain: behavior and psychiatric conditions in dogs, wolves and humans - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Biosciences and Nutrition performs research and education in several areas of
medical science including aging, Alzheimer, biomaterial, molecular endocrinology, cancer biology,
functional genomics, systems biology, epigenetics, structural biochemistry, bioorganic chemistry,
immunology, and nutrition. It offers an excellent international research and working environment,
including around 250 scientists, students, administrative and technical personnel. The Department
resides in Neo at Campus Flemingsberg, a biomedical research building, aimed at being a creative and open environment that enables meetings, synergies, and exploration of areas of mutual interest across disciplines.

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

Find out together with us how brain region-specific gene regulatory elements determine behavioral differences between different dog breeds and wolves and how these differences inform us about human psychiatric conditions.

Your mission

In the internationally organized collaborative effort across research groups in the EU, Japan, and the US, you will identify gene regulatory elements such as enhancers and gene promoters in dog and wolf genomes based on the most comprehensive RNA sequencing-based expression atlas generated by the Dog Genome Annotation Consortium. You will connect gene regulation differences to behavioral and phenotypic differences across dog breeds and wolves. You will cross-reference human and dog genetic variants to the identified gene regulatory elements with psychiatric disorders.

The setting

The Daublab is a research group at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm using clinical samples, high throughput sequencing data, and bioinformatics methods to understand the gene regulatory events underlying basic biological processes and how these processes are dysregulated in diseases. We have extensive collaborations with clinical research groups from the Karolinska Hospitals allowing us to focus our work on human health based on human clinical samples.

The Functional Annotation of the Dog Genome Project generated the most comprehensive functional information source of the dog and wolf genomes to facilitate the highest resolution of disease gene mappings not yet possible with the current reference data. This project utilizes the new genome annotation to identify risk variants for common brain disorders such as epilepsy, anxiety, and neurodegeneration and to understand variable expression patterns in different parts of the dogs’ and wolves’ brains. This outstanding new genomic resource will become publicly available and serve the international research community to understand better the molecular backgrounds of disease, morphology, and behavior for more efficient treatment scenarios.

Your profile

Qualified to be employed as a postdoctor is one who has obtained a doctorate or has equivalent scientific competence. 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. 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) date of employment. This must be substantiated by the applicant's main supervisor, director or equivalent.

You have a PhD in bioinformatics, computer sciences, computational biology, or equivalent experiences. You have good statistical knowledge and experience working with high-throughput sequencing data. You are highly proficient in data analysis using R and/ or Python in a Linux environment. You are highly self-motivated, productive, and like to work in an interdisciplinary research team.

We offer an international and outstandingly exciting work environment of the highest scientific quality in world-leading research groups in Sweden and Finland and collaboration with groups in Japan and the US.

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: Flemingsberg

www.bionut.ki.se 

https://www.daublab.org/

https://ki.se/en/bionut/molecular-basis-of-gene-regulation-of-diseases-carsten-daub 

--- [Video about a Karolinska Institutet, how we work towards "a better health for all"] --

Application

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

• A complete resumé, 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 summary of current work (no more than one page)

Welcome to apply at the latest 12 September 2022.

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