Postdoctoral position in translational hematology and multi-omics

KI-SciLifeLab Clinical Translational Postdoc Network

Karolinska Institutet, Department of Oncology-Pathology, SciLifeLab, Lehtiö research group;

Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Hellström-Lindberg research group

This postdoc position is part of the KI-SciLifeLab Clinical Translational Postdoc Program with the purpose of promoting interaction between the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) research environment and clinical research environments at Karolinska Institutet. The postdocs that are recruited to the program will form a network with the support of the SciLifeLab Committee KI. The postdoctoral candidate will be associated in both departments to benefit from our collaborating research expertise and carry out an exciting project with translational aim.

The Department of Oncology-Pathology and the Department of Medicine, Huddinge conduct basic, translational and clinical research in a variety of areas and undergraduate and graduate education.

Do you want to contribute to improving human health?

The position will be jointly appointed between the Cancer proteomics Mass spectrometry research group headed by Professor Janne Lehtiö at SciLifeLab/Karolinska Institutet and the Myelodysplastic Syndromes research group headed by Professor Eva Hellström-Lindberg at Karolinska Institutet. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world’s leading medical universities, and one of the four founding universities for SciLifeLab which is today a national infrastructure and research center in technology driven life sciences. Karolinska Institutet accounts for the single largest share of all academic medical research conducted in Sweden and offers the country’s broadest range of education in medicine and health sciences. The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet selects the Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine.

The Lehtiö group is a translational group of scientists with a drive to improve personalized cancer medicine by multi-omics and proteomics analyses via new methods, biological understanding and clinical implantation.  The Hellström-Lindberg group has a long research history on investigating the molecular pathways underlying aberrant stem cell function and ineffective cell differentiation in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) through high-throughput methods and focused functional approaches.

At present we seek to strengthen our groups’ joint focus on the translational research of MDS with an outstanding scientist with proven expertise in analysis of immune cell activation, with additional merits with experience on interpretation of omics data and the investigation of primary patient samples using flow cytometry and cell sorting techniques. We offer a very stimulating and diverse work in a highly collaborative team of very motivated co-workers with expertise in cutting-edge technology.

Your mission

We are looking for an outstanding, enthusiastic postdoc with strong molecular and laboratory skills who wants to work at the intersection of immunology and cancer/hematology research. The aim is to generate novel knowledge about MDS biology, explore the antigen profile upon stem cell mutation and associate these findings with emerging anti-cancer therapies, particularly towards targeted immunotherapies. The postdoc candidate is also expected to be instrumental in the elaboration of hypotheses and designs to facilitate the translation of the work into new clinical initiatives.

Tasks for the position:

• Develop and pursue functional T-cell-based assays using state-of-the-art cell sorting and flow cytometry infrastructure to investigate primary patient samples
• Establish in vitro TCR test models to further the functional investigation of candidate antigens for immune targeting
• Drive and run immunopeptidomics and proteomics projects and analysis of experimental systems immunology data generated on study samples. Apply for external funding - both national and international
• Actively participate in academic, industry and health care collaborations involving omics -based methods to improve cancer therapy

Your profile

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctor 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. It is considered as an advantage if you have completed your doctoral degree within the last three years, if there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier.

Qualifications

• PhD in medicine, hematology, molecular biology, chemistry or related fields.
• Expertise with cell culturing and related assays, flow cytometry for analysis of primary cells. Previous experience in in immunology and/or cancer research.
• Expertise in the development and pursuit of laboratory assays for patient sample analysis and cloning.
• Acquaintance with immunotherapy concepts and neoantigen targeting.
• Good knowledge of cancer biology and translational cancer research.
• A proven academic track record, including recent first-author publications.
• Good knowledge of English, oral and written.

Additional merits

• In-depth knowledge of multi-omics (NGS data, RNA-seq, single cell RNA-seq or proteomics) concepts is a plus.

Since the position involves close interaction with several researchers, emphasis is also placed on personal skills such as:

• Excellent collaborative skills
• Excellent communication skills and analytical skills.

Bases of assessment

In assessing the candidates, suitability for the position, experience in the above-specified methods, and experience in the field, will form the basis for the selection of this recruitment.

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: Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab in Solna

Choose to work at KI – Ten reasons why

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 19^th January. 

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

This is a 2 year position. With possibility of extension.

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