Postdoctoral Researcher in Stem Cell Aging

Are you interested in how human stem cells contribute to aging?

The failure to regenerate tissue with age is a major health issue. A contributor to this decline is the loss of stem cell function. Despite the essential role of stem cells, it is still unclear how they fail to maintain their functions during aging and disease. We discovered a new aspect of stem cell aging in vivo: cellular enlargement. With age and damage, stem cells increase in size causing their functional decline. However, we are only beginning to understand how size impacts stem cell fitness and the physiological importance of this process remains unsolved.

Your mission

We are seeking a highly motivated and ambitious individual from universities around the world to join the research team of Assistant Professor Dr. Jette Lengefeld as a Postdoctoral Researcher to mechanistically understand novel mechanisms of how human stem cells drive aging. The Lengefeld research group uses hematopoietic stem cells from mice and human bone marrow donations to discover how deregulation of cellular size is connected to aging.

We are located in a modern research hub called NEO at Karolinska Institutet in Huddinge. You will be working in an international and interdisciplinary research environment, where collaborative efforts are encouraged. We always aim for an open and welcoming environment. Together with other research groups, we offer state-of-the art core facilities providing cell sorting techniques, microscopy, sequencing, mouse facilities, and provide access to clinical samples. This position will be supported by the prestigious Swedish Research Council Starting Grant. The appointment will be for two years with a possible extension for up to two additional years.

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.

Your project will utilize hematopoietic stem cells from elderly or patients with leukemia to identify factors that facilitate stem cell aging and leukemia by single sequencing, creating xenotransplants using “humanized” mice and in vitro systems to investigate the underlying mechanisms.

Required skills:

• Excellent knowledge in English, written and spoken
• At least one first author publications in recognized peer-reviewed journal
• Good understanding of molecular biology and genetics
• A strong drive for independent research
• Good knowledge and practical experience in hematology and complement biology
• Hands-on experience with advanced flow cytometry, including panel design
• Experience in ELISA, CRISPR-Cas9 KO cell line production, protein biology including SDS-PAGE/Western blot, production and purification by liquid chromatography,
• Cell culture, including differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells
• Handling of clinical blood samples to obtain serum/plasma, red blood cells or PBMCs
• Laboratory Animal Science certified
• Experience in bridging the gap between fundamental researchers and clinicians

Desirable skills:

• A research background in experimental stem cell biology, hematology, sequencing, cell culture and experience working with mice
• An attitude to drive own research and work in an intra and inter team fashion
• Soft skills in teamwork, research communication and presentation
• A competence to think logically in biological terms, as demonstrated in research publications
• Expertise in R and foundations of statistics

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: Flemingsberg

Assistant Professor Dr. Jette Lengefeld

Choose to work at KI – Ten reasons why

Application

An employment application must contain the following documents in English:

• 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 2025-09-22.

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!