Postdoctoral Researcher in stem cell biology and spinal cord regeneration

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

We are an international, multidisciplinary research team dedicated to revealing mechanisms that are responsible for successful regeneration to occur in salamanders, and conversely, highlight processes that prevent comparable injury responses in mammals. As part of an ERC-funded project, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with experts from different disciplines. Andras Simon’s research group is at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB). CMB conducts research and education in cell biology, molecular biology, developmental biology, stem cell biology, cancer and infection biology. CMB is located in Biomedicum, an interdisciplinary research center designed to concentrate much of the experimental research conducted at Karolinska Institutet. Biomedicum houses approximately 1,200 researchers and other personnel and allows expensive equipment to be shared and utilized more effectively.

The research team

The Simon lab's primary salamander model is the Iberian newt which has the widest spectrum of regeneration capacity among vertebrates. The lab has established several experimental paradigms both in vivo and in vitro, sequenced the genome of the Iberian newt, established stable transgenesis, and created genome-edited newts.
Harnessing these technological developments, the group is combining exhaustive cell tracking studies with massive parallel sequencing and molecular manipulations to gain insights into regulatory mechanisms whose appropriate targeting could impose regenerative traits to mammals.

Research projects in the Simon lab are supported by several funding bodies such as the European Research Commission (ERC), the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Cancer Society.

Your mission

The postdoctoral researcher will perform studies on spinal cord regeneration with special focus on establishment and re-organization of neural networks during regeneration. The tasks will involve comprehensive mapping of neural networks, cell tracking within the CNS as well as molecular profiling and manipulation of regeneration.

The successful candidate will be part of a highly interactive multinational and multidisciplinary team covering expertise in molecular biology, cell biology, neuroscience, regeneration biology, mathematical modelling and robotics. Active participation in local group discussions and journal clubs will be expected, fostering a collaborative environment. Moreover, as the successful candidate you will have the opportunity to showcase your findings during meetings with the EU-consortium and at international conferences. As an integral part of our team, contributing to paper writing will play a significant role in the project's progression.

The project is supported by an ERC synergy grant. The fundamental questions addressed in the project are outlined in Ryczko, Simon, Ijspeert, 2020, Trends in Neurosciences and references within.

Your profile

We are seeking an ambitious postdoctoral researcher with a PhD and background in molecular and/or systems neuroscience. Experience with wet-lab single-cell ‘omics protocols and bioinformatics skills are of advantage. Fluency in English, both written and spoken, is a requirement.

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctoral researcher 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: Stockholm

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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)

Welcome to apply!

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

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