Postdoctoral studies in in liquid biopsy biomarker discovery and early detection of cancer (scholarship) Full-time

Postdoctoral Studies In Liquid Biopsy Biomarker Discovery And Early Detection Of Cancer (Scholarship)

The Elsässer and Ludlow-Seashore Groups are looking for an ambitious, recently graduated PhD to join our multidisciplinary team. This is an opportunity to perform cutting-edge translational research at the intersection of epigenomics assay development, liquid biopsy diagnostics, data science, and clinical oncology within the vibrant environment of SciLifeLab.

Research Environment

The position is embedded in a collaborative team bringing together clinicians (Epstein Group, KI/Södersjukhuset), translational researchers (Ludlow-Seashore Group, KI), assay developers (Elsässer Group, KI) and computer scientists/AI experts (Smith Group, KTH) with the aim of improving ovarian cancer diagnostics and patient outcome from bench to clinic. The Elsässer and Ludlow-Seashore groups neighbor in modern laboratory spaces at the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) Stockholm. The international and multicultural teams focus on precision oncology, systems and computational biology, epigenomics and single cell biology. The Elsässer group is part of the Division of Genome Biology (Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics), providing a state-of-the art research environment. You will join a collaborative ecosystem of senior researchers, bioinformaticians, postdocs and PhD students, with access to world-class core facilities.

Your Mission

Your goal is to help revolutionize the early detection of ovarian cancer. By bridging the gap between bench science and clinical application, you will develop and validate liquid biopsy assays using unique patient cohorts to improve diagnostic accuracy and drive implementation of new early detection approaches in clinical routines.

Key Aims:

• Assay Development: Implement and optimize high-sensitivity (epi)genetic assays for liquid biopsy analysis.
• Comparative Analysis: Directly compare various biomarker strategies in ovarian tumor cohorts to evaluate diagnostic sensitivity and specificity.
• Data Integration: Integrate multi-modal data—including epigenetic readouts and clinical markers—to build comprehensive diagnostic models.
• AI Collaboration: Work alongside computational experts to develop and refine AI-based rapid assessment tools for ovarian cancer.

As a postdoc, you will take a leading role in experimental design, data generation, quality control and interpretation, and the presentation/publication of results to drive the project forward. The ability to work independently and as part of a team is essential for this position.

Qualifications

Requirements:

• A PhD (obtained in 2025 or shortly before) in epigenomics, next-generation sequencing methodologies, liquid biopsy diagnostics or a closely related field.
• Solid hands-on experience in Assay Development and standard molecular biology techniques.
• Strong knowledge of chromatin biology, genetics, and epigenetics.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.

Technical Skills & Merits:

• Experience in Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) library preparation and data management.
• Knowledge of biostatistics and experience in genomics data mining/visualization.
• While this is an experimental role, basic bioinformatics skills are a strong plus to facilitate collaboration with our computational team.
• The ability to work both independently and as a proactive team member is essential.

Entry Requirements

Postdoctoral scholarships may be established for foreign researchers who pursue their merit in Sweden. A foreign researcher is a person living in another country who comes to Sweden with the intention of only staying in Sweden for all or part of their postdoctoral education at KI. Persons who are resident in Sweden and/or have carried out all or part of their academic education at KI or some other educational institution in Sweden cannot be considered for scholarships. The purpose of scholarships for postdoctoral qualification is to promote internationalization and contribute to research qualification after a doctorate or equivalent. A scholarship for carrying out postdoctoral research can be granted for a maximum of two years within a four-year period following the receipt of a doctoral degree or equivalent. To be eligible for a postdoctoral scholarship, the person must have obtained a doctorate, or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctorate. Applicants who have not completed a doctorate at the end of the application period may also apply, provided that all requirements for a completed degree are met before the (intended) start date of the post-doctoral education.

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 innovative medical research and provide the largest range of biomedical 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. Students and employees have free access to our modern gym facilities with trained staff on site.

Location: SciLifeLab, Stockholm/Solna

Type of Scholarship

The amount is tax free and it is set for twelve months at a time, paid out on a six months basis. In exceptional cases, shorter periods may be acceptable.

Application Process

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

• A complete curriculum vitae, 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 on the Varbi recruitment system.

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