Assistant Professor in T cell immunotherapy

Do you want to contribute to improving human health? 

Are you a bold, creative researcher ready to shape the future of medical science? At KI, we foster a vibrant, international research environment where curiosity, innovation, and excellence thrive. We are looking for inspiring, driven, and visionary scientists with exceptional research achievements and the potential to become a future leader in the field of immunotherapy of cancer.

At the Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine (HERM), Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), we encompass basic, translational, and clinical principal investigators. Our overall objective is to bridge discoveries in basic science with clinical application, aiming to understand disease mechanisms, improve diagnostics, develop novel treatments, prevention and patient outcomes. With this call, a focus is on understanding and improving immunotherapies against cancer, with the aim of expanding competence and creating an international competitive platform at KI within the rapidly developing field of living drugs against cancer. We offer a vibrant and collaborative research environment led by internationally renowned scientists in a broad area of research including stem cell biology, hematology and immunology. Our state-of-the-art facilities enable cutting-edge basic, translational, and clinical research in integrated settings. We take pride in our diverse and accomplished faculty, which includes award-winning investigators and rising stars. As part of our department, you will benefit from strong academic mentorship, outstanding infrastructure, and access to a modern preclinical animal facility and rich clinical cohorts as well as biobank resources. We are deeply committed to supporting the next generation of researchers in building successful, independent careers in a globally competitive setting.

What do we offer?

If you meet our requirements and propose a groundbreaking research project, we are prepared to employ you as an Assistant Professor for six years. KI offers the opportunity to be promoted from a time-limited (six-year) position as Assistant Professor to permanent employment as Senior Lecturer.

At KI, you’ll be part of an interdisciplinary research community. Our researchers work across a wide range of fields and methodologies within medicine and health, creating rich opportunities for knowledge exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration. You’ll also benefit from close connections with healthcare providers, ensuring your research remains closely aligned with real-world clinical practice.

As a state university, KI offers a comprehensive benefits package governed by collective agreements. These include annual salary reviews, supplementary insurance, and opportunities to participate in institutional decision-making.

We also understand that a successful research career is supported by a strong personal foundation. Sweden is known for being a family-friendly country, offering a high quality of life, generous parental leave, and excellent childcare and education systems — creating a welcoming environment for both researchers and their families. 

Your mission 

This Assistant Professor position offers a unique opportunity to build a strong academic profile—primarily by developing your independence as a researcher, while also gaining valuable teaching and pedagogical experience.

At HERM, MedH, you are expected to establish and lead a cutting-edge research group in the field of translational immunology and cancer immunotherapy, with a particular focus on lymphocyte function in tissues and against solid tumors. Based on a track-record of excellence and experience in state-of-the-art methodologies for studying T lymphocytes on single cell level as well as gene engineering techniques, you will define biological principles of tissue immunology and translate insights to the benefit of novel immunotherapies. You will develop a focused and original research program with strong scientific potential, international visibility, and clinical translation. A key responsibility is to secure external research funding and build collaborations both within and beyond the department. You are expected to supervise PhD students and postdoctoral researchers as part of growing a vibrant and high performing research environment. Your work will contribute to the strategic development of the department’s scientific profile. This position offers a unique opportunity to launch and expand your research career in a world-class academic setting in one of KI’s largest and most research-intensive departments.

The employment as Assistant Professor is time limited for 6 years with the right to apply for promotion to Senior Lecturer.

Eligibility requirements 

To be eligible for an appointment as Assistant Professor, you must demonstrate good scientific skills according to KI’s eligibility criteria as follows:

• A PhD (or equivalent degree) in a relevant subject area
• At least two peer-reviewed original scientific publications as first or last author, in addition to the doctoral thesis

 Priority is given to those who were awarded a PhD (or attained equivalent competence) no more than five years prior to the expiry of the deadline for the application.

 Those who have been awarded a doctoral degree or attained equivalent research competence earlier will also be considered if there are special circumstances for absence from research (deductible time), such as: parental leave, long-term illness, positions of trust in trade union organizations or mandatory service in total defence. The circumstances, dates and extent must be clearly specified in the application and verified by relevant documentation.

 For this call, exceptions are made from all pedagogical requirements specified in the instructions

regarding the Appointment procedure for teachers at KI. However, you must complete three weeks of higher education pedagogical courses in accordance with the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions’ recommendations, no later than two years after starting your employment as an Assistant Professor (unless you can certify that you have completed equivalent training before starting the position).

Bases of assessment 

Candidates will be evaluated based on both scientific and pedagogical qualifications, with greater emphasis placed on scientific excellence. In particular, the Applicant’s competence and the Scientific quality of the project within the scope of tissue/cancer immunology and prospective clinical translation. Documented expertise in state-of-the-art gene engineering approaches and cellular immunotherapy is meritorious. 

For employment as Assistant Professor at Karolinska Institutet, the eligibility requirements and assessment criteria stated in the Instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure are applied in relation to established profile of employment. 

A creative, international and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Here, 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 good benefits through our collective agreement.  

Location:  Flemingsberg

Choose to work at KI – Ten reasons why

Application

We prefer that your application is written in English, but You can also apply in Swedish. An application must contain the following documents presented in accordance with Karolinska Institutet’s qualifications portfolio:

• A personal letter (maximum 1 page)

• Application form, including your research project (the form can be found here)

• Up to ten published papers and optionally one manuscript, in PDF format

• PhD certificate

• If you have a PhD that is older than seven years and want to claim deductible time, you must attach a certificate of deductible time in Swedish or English.

Welcome to apply at the latest 2025-10-15.

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

Particular assessment for promotion to Senior Lecturer

An Assistant Professor employed in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 4 Section 12a shall be promoted to Senior Lecturer if he or she is eligible for an employment as Senior Lecturer in accordance with the Instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at Karolinska Institutet and is assessed to be suitable for such employment in accordance with the assessment criteria that KI has decided should be applied when being promoted to Senior Lecturer. The assessment criteria stated in the Instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at Karolinska Institutet that was valid at the time of appointment as Assistant Professor will be applied when applying for promotion to Senior Lecturer.  Current assessment criteria is found here. Such promotion results in a permanent position as Senior Lecturer. 

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