Postdoctoral Positions in 3D Imaging Applied to Neuroscience and Cancer

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

We are seeking highly motivated postdocs with a background in molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, neuroscience, cancer biology, bioinformatics, or other related fields in biomedicine to develop and apply cutting-edge three-dimensional (3D) imaging methods for investigating complex biological systems. You will conduct research at the highest level, aiming to break new ground and find answers to biological and medical questions that have thus far remained unanswered. Previous experience in method development is considered a merit

Your mission

The research projects focus on the development and application of cutting-edge three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques to investigate complex biological systems. This includes establishing novel tissue preparation protocols that combine advanced fluorescent labeling strategies for proteins and RNA with efficient tissue clearing, along with advanced 3D imaging and data processing. We are using several of the latest biomedical research technologies—including tissue clearing, in situ hybridization chain reaction, light-sheet microscopy, and spatial transcriptomics—on samples from transgenic autism animal models, human 3D organoids, and clinical tumor biopsies.

A central goal is to further develop the TRISCO method (Kanatani et al., Science, 2024) for multiplex 3D RNA labeling and imaging in large tissue volumes, including whole-brain samples. Leveraging our advanced 3D imaging platform, we aim to study the architecture and function of brain structures, neural circuits, and long-range networks (Smedler et al., PNAS, 2022) in the context of brain development, psychiatric disorders such as autism, and cancer.

More information about the research activities in the Uhlén Lab can be found on our homepage: www.uhlenlab.org, along with selected publications.

Publications from the lab related to the projects:

Kanatani S, et al. “Whole-Brain Spatial Transcriptional Analysis at Cellular Resolution” Science Nov 22;386(6724):907-915 (2024)

Smedler E, et al. “Disrupted Cacna1c Gene Expression Perturbs Spontaneous Ca2+ Activity Causing Abnormal Brain Development and Increased Anxiety” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA Feb 15;119(7):e2108768119 (2022)

Tanaka N, et al. “Three-dimensional single-cell imaging for the analysis of RNA and protein expression in intact tumour biopsies” Nature Biomedical Engineering Sep;4(9):875-888 (2020)

Tanaka N, et al. “Whole-tissue biopsy phenotyping of three-dimensional tumours reveals patterns of cancer heterogeneity” Nature Biomedical Engineering Oct;1(10):796-806 (2017)

Your profile

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

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: The position is located within the Unit of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, KI in Solna. The Unit comprises seven research groups performing cutting-edge basic research in neuroscience and cancer biology. Our laboratory and offices are situated in the Biomedicum research building on KI's north campus in Solna, with access to excellent infrastructure and core facilities. The Unit typically consists of approximately 70 researchers, including postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, and senior investigators. Office spaces are shared across research teams, creating ample opportunities for scientific exchange and interdisciplinary collaboration among members of the Unit. We foster a vibrant and collaborative research environment with numerous interactions between groups at all levels.

Application

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

• PhD certificate
• 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 2025-05-01

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

Permanent position is initiated by a six months trial period.

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