Postdoctoral Researcher in rheumatoid arthritis research with focus on a novel therapy - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

We are looking for a dedicated postdoctoral fellow to participate in a pre-clinical research collaboration between the Division of Rheumatology (Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet) and the pharmaceutical company Lipum. 

Your mission

The postdoc will be part of the Translational Arthritis Research team, led by Bence Réthi at the Center for Molecular Medicine. The successful candidate will conduct experiments to identify the immunological roles of Bile Salt-Stimulated Lipase (BSSL), a therapeutic target candidate molecule in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to determine the cellular sources of BSSL in health and disease. Notably, BSSL-deficient mice are protected from arthritis in animal models of RA, but the mechanisms behind this protection are completely unknown. The aims of the project are i) to contribute to the development of a novel BSSL-targeting therapy in RA and potentially other inflammatory diseases and ii) to delineate and publish how BSSL regulates key immune mechanisms.

The project includes studies on patient samples and different primary cell cultures, which will be analyzed by flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy and various assays for gene and protein expression. The successful candidate is expected to play a major role in setting up and optimizing the assays, in performing the experiments, and in analyzing and reporting the results. The work is performed in collaboration with team members and other colleagues at the Division of Rheumatology.

Your profile

Applicants should have a PhD degree in a relevant scientific discipline. Further, the candidate should have a strong interest in immunology and autoimmunity. A documented experience with cell culture experiments and a capacity to work with flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and fluorescent microscopy are needed. The successful candidate is expected to take the lead in the experimental work within a short time, without the need for extensive training in these methodologies.

The work requires good collaborative abilities, a capacity to develop the used methodologies and to communicate the obtained results. Good knowledge in written and spoken English is required.

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctor a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree is required. This eligibility requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time of the employment decision. 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.

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 Department of Medicine, Solna. The department consists of twelve divisions and each division consists of several research groups. The position is located within the Research Team of Bence Rethi (or more information about our goals and research please visit https://ki.se/en/meds/team-bence-rethi. Also, please look at  www.lipum.se for details about BSSL targeting therapy.

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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)

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

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