Postdoctoral Researcher in In-Cell Structural Biology of Lipid Flux

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

Join us at Veijo Salo's research group at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet to investigate how hepatocytes decide between lipid storage and lipid secretion, a process that is central to fatty liver disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. You will develop and apply advanced imaging and in-cell structural biology methods to reveal the nanoscale mechanisms that shape lipid flux. You will work in a collaborative and inspiring environment with access to world class imaging and structural biology facilities at Karolinska Institutet.

Your mission

The Nanoscale Lipid Flux Architecture research group, located in the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (MBB) at Karolinska Institutet, led by Assistant Professor Veijo Salo, aims to uncover the molecular logic of lipid flux and organelle biogenesis in metabolic health and disease. We study how cells build, remodel and regulate membrane bound compartments, and how nanoscale structures coordinate the flow of lipids in their native context. Our work integrates cell biology, advanced imaging and in situ cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to reveal membrane architectures and protein assemblies inside intact cells.

In this postdoctoral project you will focus on developing and applying in-cell cryo-ET methodologies to visualise nanoscale lipid handling processes directly inside hepatocytes. This includes building cryo-correlative light and electron microscopy (cryo-CLEM) workflows to identify and target relevant cellular states, and performing cryo-ET to uncover membrane architectures and protein assemblies that determine whether lipids are stored in lipid droplets or secreted through the pathway. The project provides a unique opportunity to create new experimental strategies and to generate mechanistic insight into a central problem in cell biology and metabolic disease.

Your profile

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctoral researcher, 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.

We welcome applicants who are motivated, curious, creative and committed to high-quality experimental research. The position is suitable for candidates with a strong background in cell biology who wish to develop expertise in cryo-ET, and for candidates with experience in cryo-EM or cryo-ET who are motivated to expand their skills in cell biology. A central requirement for both profiles is a strong interest in how cells coordinate lipid flux in their native environment.

Required qualifications and skills

• Doctoral degree in cell biology, molecular biosciences, biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology or a related field
• Experience in experimental cell biology or advanced imaging, or experience in cryo-EM or cryo-ET
• Strong interest in developing expertise in in-cell cryo-ET and cryo-CLEM imaging
• Ability to design, execute and analyse independent research projects
• Interest in membrane biology, organelle biogenesis or lipid metabolism
• Excellent communication skills in English

Additional preferred qualifications

• Prior experience with cryo-ET and/or cryo-CLEM
• Experience with quantitative fluorescence microscopy imaging and analysis
• Experience with hepatocyte models or liver-related biology
• Familiarity with lipid biochemistry, lipoprotein secretion, or metabolic disease mechanisms
• Programming or computational data analysis skills
• Experience working in collaborative or interdisciplinary research environments

Personal suitability is important. We value colleagues who are collaborative, communicative and enjoy contributing to a positive and supportive research environment.

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.

In addition, you will have close access to the 3D Electron Microscopy unit at Karolinska Institutet, which provides state of the art instrumentation for cryo electron microscopy and tomography. The facility includes a 300 kV cold FEG Titan Krios G3i equipped with a Gatan K3 detector and a Ceta D detector, an Aquilos 2 cryo FIB SEM for lamella preparation, and a Leica SP8 cryo confocal microscope for cryo-CLEM workflows. The Biomedicum campus is also located in close proximity to additional cryo-EM infrastructure at SciLifeLab, which provides further opportunities for high resolution imaging and method development.

Location: Solna

Application

An employment application must contain the following documents in English:

• A complete curriculum vitae, 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)
• A short motivation letter (in English and no more than one page)

Welcome to apply at the latest 12th January, 2026. The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system (i.e., not by email).

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