Lab manager/researcher position, focusing on molecular sub-phenotyping of obstructive lung diseases including post-COVID and COPD - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

We have an opening for a combined lab manager/researcher position for a person wishing to join a multidisciplinary systems medicine team investigating the molecular mechanisms of obstructive lung diseases, particularly long-COVID and COPD in non-smokers. The successful candidate will have a leading role in handling of clinical samples from research subjects and general organization of the research lab, with the opportunity to perform own research project.

This is a full-time position, with the possibility of part-time 80%.

Your mission

In this position, you will play a leading role in our recently launched study investigating lung involvement in post-COVID patients. As the lab lead of the study, you will organize and execute the work-up and biobanking of clinical samples from the lung clinic, such as BAL, lung biopsies, PExA, blood and urine, and be the main link between the lab and the research clinic. As the lab manager, you will also organize the daily work in the research group such as organization and inventory of chemicals, lab safety, managing biobanks, organizing SOPs etc. You will also contribute to our ongoing research projects on molecular characterization at the mRNA, miRNA, proteome and metabolome level from multiple lung compartments. This part of the work is expandible, with support in writing own grants and developing into an independent research group leader if the successful candidate is interested in this type of carrier path.

The main focus of the position will be on our recently launched HemCOV study, investigation clinical and molecular features of post-COVID with lung involvement. At the core of the study is our in-house developed eHealth tool for home monitoring, home spirometry, as well as sampling from the lung. You will be an essential part of the core team in this study, being involved from the start. A large proportion of our research efforts are also dedicated to our unique LUNAPRE cohort (www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02923648 ), consisting of very prematurely born individuals with or without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in the neonatal period that have been followed since birth. The overall goals of the project involve molecular sub-phenotyping and mechanistic investigations of the obstructive lung disease in this heterogeneous, relatively unknown, and rapidly growing patient group.

The specific research projects can be adapted to the experience and interest of the successful candidate, and may include RNA-seq, miRNA-seq and proteome characterizations of various compartments including single cell- or bulk sorted immune cells and extracellular vesicles from the lung of the patient cohort, as well as from cell culture model systems. The studies are performed in close collaboration with clinicians at the Karolinska University Hospital. The successful candidate is also highly encouraged to pursue and develop his/her own research interests, within the scope of the research interests of the group.

Your profile

We are looking for a highly motivated researcher with experience of lab managerial tasks, leadership, and hands-on workup of clinical samples. A Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (molecular biology, biochemistry, systems medicine or omics-related field) is a merit but not a must. Practical experience within the respiratory field, particularly in terms of work-up of BAL samples and brush biopsies, experience with cell sorting, cell culture work, RNA work and NGS seq, transfection and/or CRISPR-mediated gene editing is a merit. The successful candidate must have excellent communication skills in both Swedish and English, as part of the position includes communication with the clinic in Swedish, whereas the research is conducted in English. Demonstrated excellent communication skills and an ability to interact socially and scientifically with post docs and students in the laboratory and with collaborators in various networks are essential. Previous research coordinator experience, experience in writing research publication and grants are strong merits.

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. Our vision is to pursue the development of knowledge about life and to promote a better health for all. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several good benefits through our collective agreement. And you get to practice freely in our modern wellness facilities, where trained staff are on site.

Location

The position is located within the Department of Medicine, Solna. The department consists of twelve divisions and each division consists of several research groups. The position is located within the Pulmonomics group which is a multidisciplinary research group, located at BioClinicum. As part of the Respiratory Medicine Unit, we are in integral part of the Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), the Department of Medicine Solna as well as the Karolinska University hospital Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine. Our research interests can be broadly defined as developing a respiratory systems medicine framework for molecular sub-grouping of chronic inflammatory diseases of the lung. We focus equal efforts on translational studies in patient cohorts, and innovation & methodology development in the fields proteomics, multivariate modeling and data integration. Our translational systems medicine studies encompass profiling at multiple molecular levels (mRNA, miRNA, proteomes, metabolomes and lipid mediators) from multiple lung compartments (airway epithelium, alveolar macrophages, exosomes, and bronchoalveolar exudates) using a range of omics platforms, in combination with extensive clinical phenotyping. The strength of our approaches is the ability to integrate information from multiple molecular levels and anatomical locations both to improve the statistical power of detecting and defining molecularly distinct sub-groups in small patient cohorts, and to improve our understanding of disease mechanisms on a systems level. Read more at https://staff.ki.se/people/asa-wheelock or www.pulmonomics.net 

Application

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system. In this recruitment, you will apply with your CV and personal letter. Please include three references in your personal letter

Permanent position is initiated by a six months trial period.

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