Postdoctoral Researcher in decoding splicing codes of the brain

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

A postdoctoral research position is available in the lab of Rickard Sandberg at the institution for Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB). The lab is located in Biomedicum, top-notch research building with a modern infrastructure and equipment. Rickard’s lab has focused on developing single-cell technologies to study transcriptional regulation and post-transcriptional regulation.

The lab performs all aspects of the projects (experimental and computational) and has a strong network of national and international collaborators. We have developed a unique automated robotic lab for high-capacity full-length scRNA-seq that can provide state-of-the-art splicing information across complex tissues. Using this scalable scRNA-seq technology, we are systematically mapping out how alternative splicing of neurons is established during development, differ across cell types and brain regions, and its association with connectivity.

Your mission

This postdoctoral research project is focused on decoding how alternative splicing is used to functionally diversify neurons of the mouse and human brain, and how splicing of synaptic proteins influences synaptic connectivity and function. We have ongoing collaboration with Allen Brain Institute and Harvard University to generate a systematic dataset on mouse brain development that will reveal when and how cell-types establish cell-type specific splicing patterns, and to what extent those are maintained to the adult stage.

The successful applicant will be responsible for operating a highly automated molecular biology setup for single-cell genomics, including FACS sorting cells, supervising the robotic infrastructure, sequencing the libraries on in-house sequencing machines, processing of sequencing data, including running the computational tools in the lab for systematic de novo capturing of splicing patterns and mapping to cell types. We are also exploring how deep learning models can aid the deciphering of RNA-binding protein codes that control cell-type specific splicing.

Your profile

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.

The postdoctoral candidate must have a background in molecular biology and/or neurobiology. Meriting is experience with sequencing-based projects and single-cell genomics, either experimentally or computationally or both. The successful candidate is expected to have a strong track record in science (including publications) and good communication skills.

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

Gene regulation, genome-wide experimental and computational techniques – Rickard Sandberg's Group | Karolinska Institutet (ki.se)

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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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