Doctoral (PhD) student position in Computational Biology - 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 80 PhD students, 77 postdoctoral researchers and 32 professors. Key words are multidisciplinary, bridging, translational, national and international collaborations. MTC has recently moved to Biomedicum, a new premises offering exciting scientific opportunities.

We are recruiting a student for doctoral education.

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

Research group
The Schlisio lab at Karolinska Institute Sweden, seeks a PhD student to work on the computational analyses of a large-scale single-cell transcriptome project on childhood neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma. For more information about the group see: http://ki.se/en/people/suschl

The doctoral education project and the duties of the student
How and when during development does childhood neuroblastoma (NB) and pheochromocytoma (PCC) arise? We aiming to elucidate the origin and heterogeneity of human neuroblastoma (NB) and pheochromocytoma (PCC). NB is a cancer of early childhood that arises from the developing sympathetic nervous system births that despite its relative rareness accounts for 15% of childhood cancer mortality. While primary NB tumors occur in sympathetic neural tissue, most commonly arising in the adrenal medulla their precise origin is poorly understood. In pediatric tumors such as NB the underlying developmental processes are considered to be important, and NB can be considered as a failure of differentiation of neural crest cells underscoring the importance of understanding this process as it proceeds normally.

The clinical hallmark of childhood neuroblastoma is heterogeneity, ranging from spontaneous regression to relentless progression. The cell of origin is thought to be a developing sympathoblast. However, its precise cell of origin remains unknown and the genetic basis of neuroblastoma remains obscure. Identifying the developmental cell of origin will reveal the causes of disease heterogeneity and clinical behavior. Understanding what triggers spontaneous neuroblastoma regression would provide critical clues for the development of therapeutic strategies that are currently missing in high risk neuroblastoma.

We are looking for one outstanding researcher to work on the computational analyses of a large-scale single-cell transcriptome project on neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma. In this project we will generate “molecular encyclopedias” of this tumor in order to understand the molecular principles concerning the origin, progression and subtypes of this tumor at a previously unprecedented level, using state-of-the-art RNA-seq and bioinformatics technologies. Therefore, the student will gain expertise in computational analyses of RNA-seq data and OMICS data.

Entry requirements for doctoral education at KI
To be eligible for doctoral education, the following requirements have 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.

For more information regarding the general entry requirements, please see:
https://ki.se/en/phd/entry-requirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

Specific entry requirements
Proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school. Applicants who meet the general entry requirements (1 or 2 above) from a university in one of the Nordic countries fulfill the English language requirement.

For information on how other applicants can certify their English proficiency (such as through IELTS or TOEFL, previous upper secondary or university level studies), please see:
https://ki.se/en/phd/entry-requirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

Position-specific requirements
MSc with background in genome-wide bioinformatics, programming and linux environment. Previous experience with RNA-seq data analyses is required and additional experience with single-cell data, post-transcriptional gene regulation (e.g. splicing) or machine learning is a strong merit.

Skills and personal qualities
Successful applicants must have the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a group.

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
All doctoral students at KI receive financial support during their doctoral education and employment on a doctoral studentship is the most common sort of support.

Application process
The application must contain the following documents in English:

• A personal letter and a curriculum vitae
• Academic degree diplomas, transcripts of records in original language and, if applicable, authorised translations
• Copies of degree projects and any previous publications
• Proof of English proficiency as stated in the specific requirement above

All documents certifying the entry requirements must be scans of originals (scans of copies or certified copies will not be accepted). The scanned documents must be in color and both the front and the back of the documents must be scanned. Please note that there are specific documentation requirements for a number countries, please read the instructions at:

https://ki.se/en/phd/entry-requirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

The application and supporting documents are to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.