Postdoctoral studies in the Role of Oncometabolites in Liver Cancer (scholarship)

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC) at Karolinska Institutet conducts research and teaching within immunology, infection biology, cell biology and cancer. MTC have about 40 research groups and our key words are multidisciplinary, bridging, national and international collaborations.

Division

The prospective postdoc will join Dr. Amir Ata Saei’s group. This multidisciplinary team has a solid background in proteomics, bioinformatics, and biochemistry and is focused on employing unique and advanced proteomics techniques to study oncometabolite-protein interactions in cancer. The overarching aim is to identify metabolic vulnerabilities and develop therapeutic strategies against cancer. The specific postdoctoral project involves the application of versatile biochemistry, molecular biology, proteomic and other omics techniques, to validate the targets identified for oncometabolites in liver cancer in vitro and in vivo. This will rationalize the development of targeted therapies in the future, within a precision medicine framework. The project was recently funded by The Swedish Cancer Society (Cancerfonden). If you are interested in contributing to original, fundamental discoveries in cancer research, this position is for you.

For more information on the Saei Lab, visit https://ki.se/en/people/amir-saei or contact amir.saei@ki.se. Our lab is a part of the Center for Translational Microbiome Research (CTMR) located at the department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at Karolinska Institutet Campus Solna. We are located on the 8th floor of the modern Biomedicum building that hosts six departments focused on biomedical research.

Duties

The applicant will work on the tumorigenicity of certain metabolites in liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), from in vitro to in vivo models. The main duties include performing cell biology and omics experiments, as well as designing creative biochemistry and molecular biology experiments, and potentially performing experiments in a mouse model. The applicant is expected to set up novel experimental approaches within the research group. The project will also involve the recombinant expression of the target proteins and various binding assays to validate metabolite binding. The applicant will be supported in data analysis but is expected to have experience in data analysis and visualization. The applicant is expected to actively participate in other lab projects, collaborate, write papers and grants, and present results to general and specialized audiences.

Entry requirements

Scholarships for postdoctoral qualification can be established for foreign researchers who place their qualifications in Sweden. The purpose of scholarships for postdoctoral qualification is to promote internationalization and contribute to research qualification after a doctorate or equivalent.
A scholarship for carrying out postdoctoral research can be granted for a maximum of two years within a four year period following the receipt of a doctoral degree or equivalent.
To be eligible for a postdoctoral scholarship, the person must have obtained a doctorate or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctorate. Applicants who have not completed a doctorate at the end of the application period may also apply, provided that all requirements for a completed degree are met before the (intended) start date of the post doctoral education.

The head of the department determines whether their previous training and scholarly qualifications correspond to a Swedish doctorate or higher.

In addition to the above requirements for the position:

• Enthusiastic and motivated with a strong background in cancer biology, molecular biology and/or biochemistry
• A strong publication record
• Able to work independently and interactively with our team and collaborators
• Experience in basic data analysis and bioinformatics
• A very good knowledge of English, both written and spoken

Meritorious for the position:

• Experience with animal experiments
• Specific experience in cancer metabolism and previous work with model systems to study metabolism
• Experience in proteomics, advanced bioinformatics and programming

Location: Solna

https://ki.se/en/mtc/department-of-microbiology-tumor-and-cell-biology

https://ki.se/en/people/amir-saei

Type of scholarship

The amount is tax free and it is set for twelve months at a time, paid out on a six months basis. In exceptional cases, shorter periods may be acceptable.

The position is for two years, with the possibility of being followed by one year's employment. The working language is English.

Application process

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

• 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)

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

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