Postdoctoral researcher in molecular chaperone treatment of neurodegenerative diseases - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Biosciences and Nutrition performs research and education in several areas of medical sciences including cancer biology, aging, molecular endocrinology, functional genomics, systems biology, structural biology, protein biochemistry, immunology, and nutrition. It offers an excellent international research and working environment, including around 200 scientists, students, administrative and technical personnel. The Department resides in Neo at Campus Flemingsberg, a biomedical research building, aimed at being a creative and open environment that enables meetings, synergies, and exploration of areas of mutual interest across disciplines

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The research group

The laboratory for protein misfolding and assembly at BioNut (https://ki.se/en/bionut/laboratory-for-protein-misfolding-and-assembly) currently consists of one professor, two associate professors, two senior research specialists, three post-docs and three PhD students. We have discovered how a molecular chaperone domain (BRICHOS) prevents cell toxic effects of protein misfolding and shown in cell and animal models that recombinant BRICHOS passes the blood brain barrier (BBB) and has potential to treat neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer´s disease (AD).

Your mission

Protein misfolding and aggregation is a cause of disease, and self-assembly into amyloid fibrils is linked to different devastating human diseases including AD, which poses an urgent social-economical challenge for the society. Major research efforts have been undertaken to understand the disease pathophysiology, and to develop disease-modifying therapies, but novel approaches are urgently needed.

BRICHOS is present in proteins that harbour a region with high propensity for amyloid formation, and the role of this chaperone domain is to protect these amyloidogenic regions from harming cells. Notably, mutations in the BRICHOS domain can lead to lethal disease. Recombinant BRICHOS domains also recognise “non-client” amyloid peptides linked to different human diseases, for example AD. Further, the BRICHOS domain passes the BBB which makes it a realistic and attractive agent to harness for various applications in neurodegenerative disorders.

The successful postdoc will study recombinant BRICHOS in cell and animal models and explore if BRICHOS can carry drugs over the BBB.

Your profile

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctor a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree 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, biochemistry, biomedicine, cell or molecular biology, or another relevant    field. 
• Documented experience of protein biochemistry, molecular chaperones, cell and animal experiments, immunochemistry, and similar techniques.
• Excellent communications skills
  Fluency in spoken and written English 

Additional merits

Since the position involves close interaction with several researchers, emphasis is also placed on personal skills. The successful applicant should have the ability to work independently and as part of a team, and be open for collaborations. Good data management and documentation skills are also required.

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

www.bionut.ki

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Application

An employment application must contain the following documents in English or Swedish:

• 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 9 August 2023.

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

The position is for 2 year, with possibility of extension.

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