Research Specialist in Immuno Oncology

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet
Contribute to translational breast cancer research

We invite applications for a one-year, fixed-term position as Research Specialist in Immuno-Oncology within the Translational Breast Cancer Research group led by Professor Theodoros Foukakis. The successful applicant will work under the supervision of Associate Professor Ioannis Zerdes, MD, PhD, at Bioclinicum in Solna.

Our multidisciplinary group brings together clinical and experimental researchers, bioinformaticians and biostatisticians. We combine clinical studies with analyses of tumour tissue and blood to investigate treatment resistance and identify biomarkers that can guide treatment selection in breast cancer.

Description of the subject area

The research aims to identify and validate biomarkers of immunotherapy response and uncover new therapeutic targets in breast cancer. By investigating tumour–immune interactions and mechanisms of treatment resistance, we seek to inform more personalised treatment strategies. The work combines analyses of patient samples with functional studies in cellular and preclinical models.

Your mission

You will contribute research specialist expertise in experimental immunology and take responsibility for planning, conducting and documenting studies within the breast cancer immuno-oncology programme. Working closely with the wider team, your main responsibilities will be to:

• Develop and perform flow cytometry experiments to characterise immune cell populations and their functional responses.
• Isolate and process peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and conduct in vitro assays to investigate tumour–immune interactions and treatment effects.
• Work with organoid cultures and mouse models to investigate breast cancer biology and evaluate candidate therapeutic targets.
• Establish and optimise experimental protocols, troubleshoot assays and maintain reproducible workflows and clear research documentation.
• Analyse and interpret experimental results, contribute to manuscripts and present findings at research meetings.
• Collaborate across clinical and laboratory teams and support students and colleagues in relevant experimental methods.

Eligibility requirements

For employment as Research Specialist at Karolinska Institutet, the eligibility requirements stated in the Guidelines for non-teaching positions at Karolinska Institutet are applied in relation to the established profile of employment.

To be eligible for employment as a Research Specialist, in addition to holding a Degree of Doctor, PhD, or having a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a Swedish doctoral degree, the applicant must have demonstrated research expertise as well as have documented postdoctoral research experience.

Applicants must hold a PhD in medicine, immunology, biotechnology or a related field, or a foreign qualification assessed as equivalent to a Swedish PhD. They must demonstrate scientific competence and documented research experience after completing their doctoral degree, in accordance with KI’s guidelines for positions other than teaching positions.

Assessment criteria

We are looking for a skilled and motivated researcher with a strong background in immunology and cancer research and a clear interest in translating experimental findings into clinically relevant knowledge. The following qualifications are required:

It is particularly meritorious that the applicant has shown

• Practical experience in flow cytometry, in vitro assays and work with mouse models.
• Previous translational research experience relevant to immunology and cancer.
• Ability to plan and carry out experiments independently, resolve technical problems and critically interpret results.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with fluency in spoken and written English.

Documented postdoctoral research experience is particularly meritorious, especially within immuno-oncology, immunology or translational cancer research.

It is meritorious that the applicant has shown

• Experience in PBMC isolation and culture, primary human immune cells, organoids or tumour–immune co-culture systems.
• Experience in breast cancer research, immunotherapy or functional validation of biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
• Skills in experimental data analysis, statistics or relevant computational tools.

Particular emphasis will be placed on methodological expertise, scientific judgement and the ability to take initiative and work independently while contributing to the team. The assessment will consider the quality and relevance of applicants’ scientific contributions, their experimental skills and their suitability for the role.

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 a positive development of the activities at KI.

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 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

Choose to work at KI - Ten reasons why

Application

We prefer that Your application is written in English, but You can also apply in Swedish. An application must contain the following documents:  PhD certificate, resumé, qualifications and description of planned research, presented in accordance with Karolinska Institutet's qualifications portfolio.

The application must be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system at the latest 30th October.

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

This is a temporary position for 1 year. 

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