Postdoctoral Researcher in Mucosal immunology Full-time NEW

Postdoctoral Researcher in Mucosal Immunology

The position will be at the Division of Immunology and Respiratory Medicine. This interdisciplinary research team investigates how epithelial tissues build and regulate protective barriers. We focus on how intestinal mucus and mucus-producing goblet cells create a dynamic interface between the host and its environment, shaping microbial interactions, molecular exchange, and immune activation. By integrating molecular biology, biochemistry, and physiology, we aim to uncover how mucus is assembled and functions in health and disease.

The group is embedded in a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment, with close interactions across immunology, bioinformatics, structural biology, biochemistry, and clinical research, both locally, nationally, and internationally.

Your Mission

The project aims to establish and validate a genetic approach to specifically target subtypes of mucus-producing goblet cells in vivo to functionally analyze their role in mucus- and goblet cell-mediated defense mechanisms. Functional analyses include advanced imaging, transcriptomics and proteomics, and ex vivo mucus analysis. Some of these activities may require flexibility in working hours, including work outside standard hours or during weekends.

You are expected to independently drive their project forward, while actively engaging with the research group. Collaboration within the team and contribution to the overall lab environment are important parts of the role.

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.

· PhD in molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, biomedical sciences, or a closely related discipline with a strong experimental component.

· Extensive experience in maintaining complex mouse strains and working with genetically modified models, including advanced breeding strategies and inducible genetic systems.

· Familiarity with intestinal physiology and biology.

Meritorious

· Experience of advanced imaging techniques, including confocal imaging of whole tissue

· Experience with cell sorting techniques using FACS

· Experience with omics-analysis, for example bulk or scRNA-seq, or proteomics

· Basic bioinformatics skills and experience handling large datasets.

We attach great importance to personal qualities in this recruitment. As a person, you are:

• Analytical, structured, and detail-oriented, with a strong commitment to high-quality work and an interest in solving complex research questions.

• Self-driven and able to work independently, with the ability to take initiative and move projects forward while seeking input and raising challenges constructively when needed.

• Curious and motivated to learn new methods, skills, and concepts, with perseverance and resilience to see projects through to completion.

• Collaborative, with good communication skills, and comfortable working in interdisciplinary teams with diverse backgrounds.

• Willing to contribute to a positive and well-functioning lab environment.

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:

The position is located within the Department of Medicine, Solna. The department consists of ten divisions and each division consists of several research groups. The position is located within the research group of Elisabeth Nyström. The team works closely together with the labs led by Eduardo Villablanca, Camilla Engblom, and Gustavo Monasterio, with shared lab space, lab meetings, journal clubs, and social activities.

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)

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