Postdoctoral Researcher in Olfaction Biology

Do you want to contribute to improving human health?

Description of the research group

A postdoctoral research position is available in the lab of Rickard Sandberg at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), Karolinska Institutet. The lab is located in Biomedicum, a state-of-the-art research building with excellent infrastructure and equipment. We develop and apply single-cell genomics technologies, including the widely used Smart-seq2 and Smart-seq3xpress methods, to study transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation and to develop improved molecular diagnostics. The lab carries out all aspects of its projects, both experimental and computational, and has a strong network of national and international collaborators.

Your mission

This project focuses on transcriptional analyses of human olfactory neurons, both to study the biology of olfaction and to explore how their transcriptomes can be used for molecular diagnostics. Human olfactory neurons can be collected from the olfactory epithelium through minimally invasive sampling, which offers unique access to living human neurons. You will coordinate projects with several clinical collaborators, in which we explore how human neurons can be used to answer diagnostic questions. You will be responsible for these collaborative projects, generate and analyse single-neuron transcriptomic data, and determine the accuracy and applicability of single-neuron transcriptomics in neurological disorders and human health.

Your profile

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.

You have a background in molecular biology and/or neurobiology. Experience in one or more of the following areas is required: human olfactory cells, sequencing-based projects, single-cell genomics, and human neuron transcriptomics, both experimental and computational. We expect you to have a strong publication record, excellent spoken and written English, and good organisational skills, as the role involves coordinating several clinical collaborations. You are able to work both independently and as part of a team.

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: Solna

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Application

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

• PhD certificate
•  A cover letter (no more than one page) describing your motivation for the position 
• 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)
•  Contact details for two to three references 

KI applies individual and differentiated salary setting in accordance with our collective agreements RALS and RALS-T

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

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