Post-doc in combined bioinformatics and human biobanking

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

Would you like to work globally in the field of bioinformatics? We are looking for a new team member to join my research group at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge. We have collaborations with other bioinformaticians across the globe,  which spans from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York to the University Hospital in Tartu, Estonia, and the University of Tokyo, Japan. Our main source of systems genetics analyses  is the cardiovascular disease (CVD) STARNET (Stockholm-Tartu Atherosclerosis Reverse Network Engineering Task) biobank and data repository - a high-dimensional, multi-tissue and single cell genetics-of-gene/protein-expression database of  near 2000 patients with and without CVDs.

We study tissue and cell-level gene networks acting within and across the arterial wall and metabolic organs to better understand the complex etiologies of CVDs.

 
Your mission

We are looking for a highly motivated post-doc with a combined background of bioinformatics and human biobanking to join our multidisciplinary team of clinicians, bioinformaticians, computer scientists, and biologists. The position is primarily located within the Department of Medicine, Huddinge, south of Stockholm within the research group of Johan Björkegren. A substantial part of the work will be performed at the Tartu University Hospital in Tartu Estonia where the STARNET biobank is located.

The postdoc candidate's main task will be to lead the development of the STARNET biobank situated in Tartu by overseeing the continued recruitment and sampling of unique cardiometabolic tissue biopsies. In addition, we seek a candidate with bioinformatic experience who can evolve our increased focus on performing advanced analyses on data obtained from cutting-edge single-cell, single-nucleus, spatial RNA and ATAC (Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin) sequencing platforms.

This position is for 2 years, with possibility of extension 1+1 year.

Your profile

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctor, a PhD or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a Swedish PhD is required. This eligibility requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time of the employment decision. Completion of your doctoral degree within the last three years is considered an advantage. If there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier.

Essential requirements:

• A Ph.D. degree including bioinformatics and human biobanking.
• Insights in the basic mechanisms of cardiometabolic disorders and atherosclerosis
• Experience of bulk and single cell RNA data analysis such as inference of gene-regulatory networks using softwares like R or similar
• Wet-lab experience in DNA, RNA, and protein isolation from human tissues including evaluating sample quality.
• In vitro primary cell culturing experience including gene silencing and cell sorting
• Knowledge of single cell RNA sequencing platform(s)
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills (written and verbal English).
• You should be a person who prefers to collaborate and work in a team environment.
• Good data management and documentation skills.

Desirable competencies:

• Experience in CVD-related GWAS databases, such as CARdioGRAM-CD4+ and UKBB
• Experience in clinical sequencing data analysis for patient cohort studies, and/or multi integration analysis

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.

 Links: Department of Medicine, Huddinge

Application

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

• PhD certificate
• 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 at the latest 23 May 2025.

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

Permanent position is initiated by a six months trial period.

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