Postdoctoral Researcher in Spatial Metabolism of Human Adipose Tissue

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Rydén and Mejhert laboratory is a multidisciplinary research group of 15–20 members, including postdoctoral fellows, PhD and master’s students, and technical staff. We are equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, encompassing a comprehensive preclinical laboratory at Biomedicum and a dedicated clinical research unit at Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge. Using these resources, we focus on understanding how alterations in human white adipocyte function contribute to cardiometabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis.

Your mission

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our team for an exciting project focused on spatial metabolic regulation in human white adipose tissue. The overarching aim is to understand how metabolic activity and substrate utilization are organized across tissue architecture and how these patterns change in response to insulin.

The successful candidate will apply state-of-the-art spatial metabolomics to human adipose tissue sections to investigate metabolic fluxes at spatial resolution under different physiological conditions. These analyses will be integrated with spatial proteomics and transcriptomics to link metabolic states to cellular programs and to map cell types and functional states within their native tissue context.

By integrating multi-modal spatial datasets, the project will define adipose tissue cell types, spatial niches, and metabolic interactions that govern insulin-responsive metabolism. The work will combine advanced experimental and computational approaches and will contribute to a deeper understanding of tissue-level metabolic regulation in humans.

This position is embedded in a vibrant and interdisciplinary research environment with strong links to clinical studies and translational metabolic research, offering excellent opportunities for scientific development, collaboration, and career advancement.

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.

The ideal candidate will have a hybrid skill set, combining hands-on experimental experience with the ability to analyze and interpret complex, high-dimensional datasets. Specifically, the applicant should be comfortable generating primary data using advanced molecular, techniques. Experience with mass spectrometry–based methods, spatial metabolomics and/or proteomics, or related technologies is highly desirable, though not all are required. The key requirement is the ability to take ownership of data generation and follow through with rigorous downstream analysis.

Strong data analysis skills are essential. Experience working in R, Python, or similar programming environments, and a demonstrated ability to integrate and interpret multi-modal datasets, will be considered a major asset. Familiarity with reproducible workflows, data visualization, and quantitative analysis is highly valued.

The candidate should be able to work independently, manage complex projects, and collaborate effectively in an interdisciplinary research environment. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to critically evaluate results are essential. The position requires intellectual curiosity, flexibility, and a willingness to bridge experimental and computational approaches.

Proficiency in written and spoken English is required for effective communication, manuscript preparation, and collaboration within an international 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.

Location: Solna

Rydén and Mejhert laboratory 

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  2026-02-11.

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

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