Assistant Professor in bacteriology Full-time

Assistant Professor in Bacteriology

Karolinska Institutet, Department of Laboratory Medicine

Are you a bold, creative researcher ready to shape the future of medical science? Karolinska Institutet (KI), one of the world's foremost medical universities, is recruiting an outstanding early-career researcher to join us as Assistant Professor in Bacteriology.

At KI, we foster a vibrant, international research environment where curiosity, innovation, and excellence thrive. We are looking for inspiring, driven, and visionary scientists with exceptional research achievements and the potential to become future leaders in their fields.

The Department of Laboratory Medicine offers a uniquely integrated research setting, bridging advanced molecular science with direct clinical applications. With seven specialized divisions closely linked to the Karolinska University Hospital, our department spans the full spectrum from mechanistic discovery to academic clinical trials. This deeply translational environment enables meaningful collaboration between basic scientists and clinicians, accelerating the path from research insight to patient benefit.

What do we offer?

If you meet our requirements, we are prepared to employ you as an Assistant Professor for six years and support you with initial funding of salary and a start package for the first years of the recruitment to support other research costs. KI offers the opportunity to be promoted from a time-limited (six-year) position as Assistant Senior Lecturer to permanent employment as Senior Lecturer.

At KI, you will be part of an interdisciplinary research community. Our researchers work across a wide range of fields and methodologies within medicine and health, creating rich opportunities for knowledge exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration. You will also benefit from close connections with healthcare providers, ensuring your research remains closely aligned with real-world clinical practice.

As a governmentally funded university, KI offers a comprehensive benefits package governed by collective agreements. These include annual salary reviews, supplementary insurance, and opportunities to participate in institutional decision-making.

Location: Flemingsberg

Description of the subject area

The subject area of the position is Bacteriology, with a focus on research that bridges molecular-level understanding of human biology and disease with clinical application. We welcome outstanding scientists whose work contributes to the development of novel mechanistic insights, diagnostics or therapeutics, with potential for patient benefit. Not the least, we are looking for synergies with ongoing research in the bacteriophage field, where KI has several active research groups, all of them being organized in the research network PHATE, which has central funding from the university. The emphasis is on high-quality research with clear molecular foundations and translational relevance.

The position is open to researchers working on bacterial pathogens, and those addressing unmet clinical needs are particularly encouraged. The successful applicant will be expected to develop an internationally competitive and externally funded research program. The position includes integration into the Division of Clinical Microbiology. Interdisciplinary collaboration, especially within the hospital-linked environment, is strongly encouraged and supported.

Your mission

This Assistant Senior Lecturer position offers a unique opportunity to build a strong academic profile—primarily by developing your independence as a researcher, while also gaining valuable teaching and pedagogical experience.

As an Assistant Professor at The Department of Laboratory Medicine you will have the opportunity to be a research group leader and shape and grow an independent research program within a supportive, collegial, and multidisciplinary ecosystem. We offer access to cutting-edge infrastructure, strong departmental support, and a vibrant international community committed to scientific excellence and innovation in health. We are committed to long-term recruitment strategies focused on retaining and developing our employees, with ample opportunities to engage in teaching programs and departmental duties, and to build a career path forward.

As a research group leader your mission is to establish and lead an internationally competitive research program that advances molecular understanding of human disease and contributes to improved diagnostics or therapies. You will be responsible for securing external funding, building and mentoring a research team, and fostering collaborations across disciplines and with clinical partners. The position includes opportunities for supervision of PhD students and postdoctoral scientists, as well as participation in undergraduate and graduate education. You are expected to contribute to the department's strategic development and actively engage in its dynamic, hospital-linked research environment. A key part of your mission is to drive scientific innovation with real-world impact through collaboration, curiosity, and academic leadership.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for an appointment as Assistant Professor, you must demonstrate good scientific skills according to KI's eligibility criteria as follows:

• A PhD (or equivalent degree) in a relevant subject area
• At least two peer-reviewed original scientific publications as first or last author, in addition to the doctoral thesis

Priority is given to those who were awarded a doctoral degree or attained equivalent research competence no more than seven years prior to the expiry of the application period for the position as Assistant Professor.

Those who have been awarded a doctoral degree or attained equivalent research competence earlier will also be considered if there are special circumstances for absence from research (deductible time), such as: parental leave, long-term illness, positions of trust in trade union organizations or mandatory service in total defense.

Ground, dates and extent must be clearly specified in the application and verified with relevant documentation.

Appointment to the position of Assistant Professor requires good scientific skills and good pedagogical skills. (See the instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at Karolinska Institutet).

Assessment criteria

Candidates will be evaluated based on both scientific and pedagogical qualifications, with greater emphasis placed on scientific excellence. The full set of assessment criteria is outlined here

Particularly meritorious is:

• the scientific quality, originality, and feasibility of your research plan within the bacteriology area – in particular related to bacteriophage research
• documented experience in research environments outside KI, with special consideration given to international research experience

These criteria reflect our commitment to fostering globally competitive researchers who contribute to high-impact science and academic excellence.

It is further meritorious that you have demonstrated

• publish peer-reviewed original papers as first or last author in top-ranked journals

The criteria listed will form part of the overall assessment of the applicant. All criteria will be assessed but they should not individually be seen as requirements.

Offers will be extended to the best candidate based on an overall assessment of the applicant's expertise and merits in relation to the subject area.

Working at KI

Is working in a creative, international 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 good benefits through our collective agreement.

Application guidelines

The application should consist of the following documents, written in English:

• A personal letter (maximum 1 page)
• Application form, including your research project and list of publications (the form can be found here)
• PhD certificate
• If you have a PhD that is older than seven years and want to claim deductible time, you must attach a certificate of deductible time in Swedish or English.

Welcome to apply no later than June 1st, 2026 (time 23.59 CEST).

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