Doctoral (PhD) student position in RNA-guided DNA repair - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

We are recruiting a student for doctoral education.

For more information regarding doctoral (PhD) education, see: http://www.ki.se/doctoral.

Research Group
The position is placed in the research group of Marianne Farnebo, https://ki.se/en/onkpat/marianne-farnebos-group The laboratory studies functions of the nuclear organelles Cajal bodies and mechanisms involved in DNA repair, and how defects in these processes contribute to cancer. A number of cutting edge techniques required to study RNA-guided DNA repair are already up and running in Farnebo laboratory, including single-molecule RNA FISH, RNA tethering, live-cell imaging and laser-micro irradiation. The laboratory has an extensive scientific network within the field and access to clinical material relevant for the project.

The doctoral education project and the duties of the student
Accumulating evidence highlight RNA processing factors as regulators of DNA repair and genome stability. However, the underlying mechanism(s) remains unclear. The PhD project will focus on characterizing the role of noncoding RNAs and RNA processing factors in DNA repair and to investigate whether these functions are altered in cancer cells, which could have implications for cancer therapy.

This project is conceptually novel and expected to have important consequences on our understanding of DNA repair control and various diseases such as cancer and premature aging. The PhD student will practice a number of molecular and cellular techniques, including cell culture, RNAi, qPCR, immunofluorescence microscopy, live-cell imaging and immunoprecipitation of proteins and RNAs. He/she will also learn novel and powerful techniques, such as single-molecule RNA FISH and tethering of RNA and proteins to chromatin.

Project title: “RNA-modifying enzymes: new players in DNA damage response and cancer development”

Project funding and ranking: The PhD project is funded by a KID grant from Karolinska Institutet and was during the evaluation process ranked as the fifth best PhD project out of 341 applications. It was ranked regarding the scientific quality of the project, suitability of PhD supervisors and feasibility as PhD project.

Supervisors: Marianne Farnebo, Associate Professor, Department of Oncology-Pathology and Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Jiri Bartek, Professor, Department Biochemistry & Biophysics, SciLifeLab, Karolinska Institutet

Time period: 4 years full-time studies, starting summer/autumn 2018.

Entry requirements for doctoral education at KI
To be eligible for doctoral education, the following requirements have to be met:

General entry requirements
A person meets the general entry requirements for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education (according to Higher Education Ordinance Chapt 7, section 39) if he/she:

1. has been awarded advanced/second-cycle/master qualification (i.e. master degree) or
2. has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle/master level, or

3. has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

For more information regarding the general entry requirements, please see:

https://ki.se/en/phd/entry-requirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

Specific entry requirements 
Proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school. Applicants who meet the general entry requirements (1 or 2 above) from a university in one of the Nordic countries fulfill the English language requirement. For information on how other applicants can certify their English proficiency (such as through IELTS or TOEFL, previous upper secondary or university level studies), please see:

https://ki.se/en/phd/entry-requirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

Skills and personal qualities
To build a strong and creative research team, we are looking for high achievers from universities around the world. We will offer an intellectually stimulating environment and are looking for the talented people who will play a part in developing our next breakthrough ideas. Are you ready to discover the unexplored?

More specifically,

1. Applicant should have a high personal drive and motivation
2. Applicant should have innovative thinking and be eager to solve problems
3. Applicant should be efficient and able to work productively in a team
4. Applicant should be fluent in English (written and spoken)
5. Previous experience in molecular biology techniques is considered an important merit
6. Emphasis will be placed on personal suitability

Assessment criteria
A selection will be made among qualified applicants on the basis of the ability to benefit from doctoral education. Karolinska Institutet 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

The qualifications of the applicants will be evaluated on an overall basis.

Terms and conditions
All doctoral students at KI receive financial support during their doctoral education and employment on a doctoral studentship is the most common sort of support.

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

• A personal letter and a curriculum vitae
• Academic degree diplomas, transcripts of records, and if applicable, authorised translations
• Copies of degree projects and any previous publications
• Proof of English proficiency

All documents certifying the entry requirements must be scans of originals (scans of copies or certified copies will not be accepted). The scanned documents must be in color and both the front and the back of the documents must be scanned. Please note that there are specific documentation requirements for a number countries, please read the instructions at:

https://ki.se/en/phd/entry-requirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

The application and supporting documents are to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.