Bioinformatician

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) is situated in the building Biomedicum at Karolinska Institutet. Biomedicum is a cutting-edge research facility with a focus on advanced experimental research in various fields related to cell and molecular biology. The Spalding lab is dedicated to exploring fundamental questions in human adipose tissue biology using innovative techniques such as single cell sequencing, radiocarbon dating, confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry. The lab's emphasis on basic science, combined with its strong clinical collaborations and expertise in working with human samples, offers the successful applicant an opportunity to be a part of a translational research team, aiming to address real-world health challenges, especially in the fields of obesity and associated co-morbidities.

Description of the subject area

Obesity is a major global health challenge and a primary risk factor for metabolic disease, cardiovascular dysfunction, and cancer. A central unresolved question is how human adipocytes, both in healthy and dysfunctional states, contribute to metabolic decline and adipose tissue remodeling. Recent advances in transcriptomics now enable deeper investigation of adipocyte states, senescence, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction.

This position sits at the interface of computational biology, molecular biology, and human adipose tissue research, supporting projects aimed at understanding how adipocytes drive disease progression and how complex datasets can reveal new therapeutic avenues.

Your mission

As the bioinformatician in the Spalding lab, you will take a leading role in the computational analysis, interpretation and integration of high-dimensional RNA-based datasets generated within the group. You will work closely with experimental researchers to design analyses that connect molecular patterns to biological mechanisms, with a strong emphasis on reproducibility, transparency, and biological insight.

Your responsibilities include:

• Developing and maintaining robust, reproducible workflows for bulk, single-cell, and small-RNA sequencing data.
• Exploring complex datasets to identify transcriptional programs, cellular states, and mechanisms relevant to adipocyte biology, senescence, inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.
• Collaborating closely with wet-lab researchers to ensure analytical approaches align with experimental design and biological context.
• Contributing intellectually to project strategy, data interpretation and the generation of new research questions.
• Writing and contributing to scientific manuscripts, reviews, figures and grant applications
• Advising, training and mentoring students and postdocs in computational approaches.
• Supporting implementation of best practices for version control, workflow management and reproducibility.

Eligibility requirements and assessment criteria

To be eligible for employment as a Bioinformatician, applicants must hold a PhD (or equivalent scientific expertise) and demonstrated excellence within the field of computational biology.

Documented expertise in analysing single cell RNA transcriptomics datasets is a requirement and experience with other omics datasets (proteomics, lipidomics, metabolomics) an advantage.

Excellent communication skills in English (written and verbal) and the ability to collaborate effectively with laboratory researchers is a requirement.

Required

• Proven experience analysing large-scale biological datasets (e.g. scRNA-seq, whole-cell RNA-seq, miRNA-seq, small-RNA sequencing).
• Strong statistical and computational reasoning skills, including experience handling non-standard or noisy biological data.
• Demonstrated ability to build reproducible pipelines and structure complex computational projects.

Meritorious

• Proficiency in R and/or Python.
• Experience with workflow management tools (Snakemake, Nextflow) and version control (Git).
• Familiarity with transcriptomics in metabolism, obesity, or related fields.
• Experience integrating multi-omic datasets or collaborating with experimental biologists (including experience working with metabolomic, proteomic, lipidomic datasets).

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. Our vision is to pursue the development of knowledge about life and to promote a better health for all. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several good benefits through our collective agreement. And you get to practice freely in our modern wellness facilities, where trained staff are on site.

Location: Solna

Application

Welcome to apply!

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.In this recruitment, you will apply with your CV without a personal letter. Instead, you will answer some questions about why you are applying for the job in the application form. 

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