Postdoctoral studies in (scholarship)

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research? 

We are seeking an ambitious postdoctoral fellow with strong expertise in human coronavirus immunology to join our group at Karolinska Institutet. The successful candidate will investigate how prior SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination shapes immunity against other coronaviruses, including seasonal, highly pathogenic, and potential future strains.

Division

The Buggert group conducts innovative studies on cell-mediated immunity in humans, with a focus on memory T and B cells across infections and cancers. Using unique cohorts such as COVAXID, we dissect how immune memory adapts to evolving viral challenges. Our toolbox includes high-parameter flow cytometry, antigen-specific tetramers, BCR/TCR sequencing, single-cell multi-omics (RNA/ATAC/CITE/TCR-seq), and functional assays to map antiviral responses at high resolution. This project will be carried out as a close collaboration between the Buggert group and the Ljunggren group, combining our expertise in T and B cell immunology, viral pathogenesis, and translational cohort studies. Together, we aim to define the mechanisms of cross-reactive coronavirus immunity and provide a foundation for pan-coronavirus vaccine strategies.

Duties

The postdoctoral fellow will investigate cross-reactive T and B cell immunity elicited by SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and infection, with a particular focus on how such responses recognize conserved epitopes across other coronaviruses, including MERS and OC43. The project will employ serology, neutralization, advanced single-cell multi-omics approaches, high-parameter flow cytometry, antigen-specific tetramers, and functional assays to characterize T cell plasticity and B cell clonotypes that underlie broad coronavirus recognition. The ultimate goal is to understand how cross-reactive responses can be harnessed for the development of pan-coronavirus vaccines. This work will build directly on samples and clinical data from the prospective COVAXID study and linked cohorts, enabling longitudinal analyses of immune memory in both immunocompromised and healthy individuals.

Entry requirements

Postdoctoral scholarships may be established for foreign researchers who pursue their merit in Sweden. A foreign researcher is a person living in another country who comes to Sweden with the intention of only staying in Sweden for all or part of their postdoctoral education at KI. Persons who are resident in Sweden and/or have carried out all or part of their academic education at KI or some other educational institution in Sweden cannot be considered for scholarships. 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.

To be considered for this scholarship position, in addition to holding a PhD in the field of biomedicine, the candidate must have demonstrated research expertise and documented research experience in the field of human adaptive immunology.

It is particularly meritorious that the applicant has:

• Solid training in human immunology during doctoral studies
• Publications in the field of coronavirus-specific T and/or B cell immunity
• Experience with serology and high-parameter flow cytometry
• Expertise in statistical and bioinformatic analysis of immunological datasets
• Experience with the development or use of viral infection models
• Excellent command of written and spoken English

It is meritorious that the applicant has

• Laboratory molecular and cell biology skills (e.g. preparation of RNA-seq libraries, single-cell sequencing workflows, etc)
  
  

After an overall assessment of the expertise and merits of the applicants in relation to the subject area, Karolinska Institutet will determine which of them has the best potential to contribute to the positive development of the activities at KI. We place great emphasis on personal suitability.

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. Here, we conduct innovative medical research and provide the largest range of biomedical 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. Students and employees have free access to our modern gym facilities with trained staff on site.

Location: Flemingsberg

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.

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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