Postdoctoral research fellow in Genomics - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Department of Microbiology, Tumour 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.

Division

MTC is offering a postdoctoral position in the field of Genomics to work in the group of Dr. Vicent Pelechano. The group combines experimental and computational approaches to develop and apply novel genome-wide techniques to investigate eukaryotic transcription and gene Pelechano et al.Nature 2013, Chabbert et al. Mol. Syst. Biol. 2015, Pelechano et al. Cell 2015).

We are especially interested in understanding the regulatory mechanisms leading to the appearance of divergent gene expression programs in clonal cell population (http://pelechanolab.com/). Different cells in a population can present varying responses to the same stimulus. In some cases, these differences are attributable to genetic mutations, such as the appearance of drug-resistant cells in bacterial and cancer populations. However, in other cases identical (clonal) cells can also display phenotypically heterogeneous responses. This non-genetic heterogeneity has a poorly understood origin but a significant impact on biology and human health.

Our lab is located in the newly established Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab, http://www.scilifelab.se/) in the Karolinska Institute campus. SciLifeLab is equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation and core facilities, and is home to the second largest sequencing cluster in Europe. SciLifeLab Stockholm is a joint effort between Karolinska Institute, the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and Stockholm University, and hosts research groups with diverse backgrounds and expertise, including basic biology, drug discovery, genomics, bioengineering, and translational medicine.

Duties

The available postdoctoral position concerns developing and applying novel genomic and computational approaches to study non-genetic heterogeneity in clonal population of cells. The candidate will focus on assigning molecular and cellular phenotypes to subtle variations of the transcriptome, with a special focus on RNA biology and post-transcriptional regulation.

The candidate will perform original research in genomics and computational biology, and acquire the required experimental and computational skills necessary for the completion of the project. The candidate will be responsible for implementing analytical pipelines and integrate different kinds of genomic data to answer biologically relevant questions.

The successful candidate will take a strong lead in the experimental design, contribute to generate his/her own data and collaborate with other team members. The candidate is expected to communicate the scientific results by writing up scientific papers and attending scientific meetings. The ideal candidate is also expected to participate in the general duties of the team and to effectively communicate with scientists of very diverse backgrounds in a highly interdisciplinary and international environment.

Entry requirements

Applicants to this position should have a PhD in genomics, computational biology or bioinformatics. The candidate will preferentially have a dual background combining experimental and computational expertise. A person is eligible for a position as postdoctoral research fellow if he or she has obtained a PhD no more than seven years before the last date of employment as postdoc.

The successful applicant should have experience interpreting biological data and experimentally testing their hypothesis, NGS analysis and proficiency in a scripting language (e.g. Python, R, Perl) and in UNIX/Linux. A strong interest in interdisciplinary technology development, and novel and creative thinking abilities are essential. Preferred experience also includes familiarity with eukaryotic transcription, RNA biology, ChIP-Seq, and molecular biology techniques. This is an excellent opportunity for an individual with experience in computational biology and genomics to expand his/her ability to design and interpret novel experimental approaches from bench to analysis. Applicants wishing to integrate computational and experimental biology approaches are especially encouraged to apply.

Candidates interested in applying are encouraged to contact vicente.pelechano.garcia@ki.se for further information.

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

1. 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
2. A complete list of publications
3. A summary of current work (no more than one page)
4. Verifications for crediting of illness, military service, work for labour unions or student organisations, parental leave or similar circumstances
5. Verification from the thesis defence committee or the equivalent (only if the thesis defence is scheduled within three months after the application deadline)

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