Doctoral (PhD) student position in “chromatin dynamics and transcriptional regulation” - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC) at Karolinska Institutet conducts research and teaching in immunology, infection biology, cell biology and cancer. MTC has about 430 active employees, including 100 PhD students, 50 postdoctoral researchers and 26 professors. Key words are multidisciplinary, bridging, translational, national and international collaborations.

A doctoral position is an available doctoral education project to which a PhD student is to be recruited. After the selection process the process for admission to doctoral education will commence. An admission decision will not be taken until an individual study plan has been approved by the departmental admission board.

For more information regarding doctoral (PhD) education, see: http://www.ki.se/doctoral. 

Research group

The PhD project will be performed in the group of Chromatin regulation and dynamics lead by Anita Göndör, in close collaboration with other members of the group and with professor Camilla Sjögren. The doctoral student candidate will be recruited to a multidisciplinary team, and is expected to take part in collaborative efforts.

The doctoral education project and the duties of the student

Circadian rhythm regulates many aspects of physiology and behavior. Disruption of circadian regulation predisposes to a wide range of diseases, including metabolic diseases and cancer.  We have previously shown that circadian transitions in gene activity and gene repression are regulated by large-scale movements of circadian genes between transcriptionally permissive and repressive environments within the 3D space of the nucleus (Mol. Cell 2015). The doctoral studies will focus on the regulation of circadian chromatin mobility by the interplay between DNA topology and the circadian clockwork.

Entry requirements for doctoral education at KI
To be eligible for doctoral education following requirements has to be met:

General entry requirements
A person meets the general entry requirements for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education (according to Higher Education Ordinance Chapt 7, section 39) if he/she:

1. has been awarded advanced/second-cycle/master qualification (i.e. master degree) or
2. has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle/master level, or
3. has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

Specific entry requirements
Proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school:
Proficiency in the English language can be documented by an internationally recognized test such as TOEFL or IELTS, see web-link below for more information.
Applicants who meet the general entry requirements (1 or 2 above) from a university in one of the Nordic countries fulfill the requirements in English.

For more information regarding general and specific entry requirements: http://ki.se/en/education/entry-requirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

Skills and personal qualities

We are looking for highly talented and motivated doctoral student candidates with considerable experience in cell and molecular biology and/or bioinformatics. The ideal applicant must have experience working independently with:

• Human cell culture
• Bacteria culture
• In vitrobiochemical and molecular biological techniques
• Bioinformatics

High proficiency in spoken and written English including scientific writing is required. Emphasis will be placed on personal ability and previous experience in laboratory work and bioinformatics.

Assessment criteria
A selection will be made among qualified applicants on the basis of the ability to benefit from doctoral education. Karolinska Institutet uses the following bases of assessment:
- Documented subject knowledge of relevance to the area of research
- Analytical skill
- Other documented knowledge or experience that may be relevant to doctoral studies in the subject

The qualifications of the applicants will be evaluated on an overall basis.

Terms and conditions
The most common way of financial support for doctoral students at KI is doctoral grant the first year and a doctoral studentship (doctoral employment) for year 2, 3 and 4. During the time between recruitment and admission a short-term employment can be offered for up to 6 months.

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

• A personal letter and curriculum vitae
• A copy of degree certificates and associated certificates
• A copy of degree projects and any previous publications

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