Postdoctoral research in leukemia microenvironment

Do you want to contribute to better treatment of leukemia?

 The selected candidate will be working and trained in Hong Qian group  at the Center for hematology and Regenerative Medicine (HERM), the Department of Medicine Huddinge, Flemingsberg Campus.

The vision of Hong Qian group is to dissect the role of leukemia niche in the development and therapy response of myeloid leukemia. The ultimate goal is to identify new niche- based therapeutic targets for better treatment outcome of the diseases. The group so far has been mainly focusing on the mesenchymal niche in myeloid leukemia in patients and mouse models. The group has identified a set of molecules that are dysregulated in leukemia niche. Among them, we have shown that laminin a4 chain (Lama4), a receptor-binding chain of extracellular matrix protein laminin isoforms, inhibits AML progression and relapse (Cai, et al., Blood, 2022; Sandhow et al, JEM 2023) and CXCL14, a chemokine, suppresses the survival of leukemia-initiating stem cells in chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (Dolinska, Cai, Månsson et al., Blood 2023).

Within this group you will have a unique opportunity to work closely together with cutting edge researchers and to contribute to high quality research on leukemic stem cell interactions with their niches. The main technologies used include multi-color flow cytometry, confocal imaging, lineage tracing, gene-editing, in vivo and in vitro stem cell assays including coculture and experimental transplantation, as well as advanced molecular tools including RNA sequencing, digital PCR and single cell PCR.

Position duration:

Applicants are invited to submit applications for 2- year postdoc position with possible extension of another 2 years.

Duties and requirement

The successful candidate will conduct a project focusing on the impact of one of already identified dysregulated niche factors in therapy response of acute and chronic myeloid leukemia under the supervision of the group leader (Prof. Hong Qian). In addition, the candidate is also expected to participate in collaborated projects and supervision of junior students in the group during her/his postdoc training.

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctoral researcher, 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. Completion of your doctoral degree within the last three years is considered an advantage. If there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier.

We are looking for a highly self-motivated person with a strong background in cellular and molecular biology with a keen interest in leukemia microenvironment/niche and hematopoiesis in general. Experience in working with tumor microenvironment, multi-color flow cytometry, gene-editing, and mouse modeling is highly desired; and good ability to communicate in English (written and verbal) is required. The applicant must be able to work flexibly and in a high-paced research environment.

It is considered as a merit if the applicant has experience in flow cytometry, imaging, laboratory animal work (as documented by FELASA C or equivalent) with at least 1-3 years hands on experience working with mice or bioinformatics analysis tools.

Key responsibilities

The main duties of the postdoc are to,

• plan, perform, document experiments and analyze data and report the findings in oral and written presentation, independently or under supervision of the group leader or group members.
• Interact with other group members or collaborators to perform potential collaborated projects
• Assist Prof. Hong Qian to supervise junior students on the related projects.

Entry requirements

Having a PhD degree in one of the academic areas: molecular and cell biology, hematology, oncology, biomedicine or medicine

Essential requirements

• Good proficiency of spoken and written English
• Flow cytometry experience
• Cell culture experience, particularly, co-culture work with stromal or immune cells
• Experience in mouse models.

Desired requirements

• Experience in leukemia niche
• Experience with drug testing

Personal suitability will be a strong selection criterion.

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: Flemingsberg Campus

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 2026-03-08. 

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

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