Postdoctoral studies in the genetic control of human CD4+ T cell responses after viral vaccination (scholarship)

Postdoctoral Studies In The Genetic Control Of Human Cd4+ T Cell Responses After Viral Vaccination (Scholarship)

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

We are looking for an ambitious postdoctoral fellow with a strong background in T cell immunology and vaccine responses to join our highly accomplished team. The successful candidate will lead studies of yellow fever virus (YFV)-specific CD4+ T cell immunity in a unique longitudinal cohort of monozygotic and dizygotic twins. The project will determine how inherited and non-inherited factors shape CD4+ T cell responses and how these responses coordinate with CD8+ T cell memory and antibody immunity.

Division

The Buggert group at the Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, studies human antiviral T cell immunity in blood and tissues. Our research combines genetically informative human cohorts with controlled vaccination models and cutting-edge experimental technologies. We use high-parameter spectral flow cytometry, functional immune assays, single-cell RNA and surface-protein profiling, paired TCR sequencing, proteomics and advanced computational analysis to define the factors governing the magnitude, quality and persistence of human immune memory.

The postdoctoral project will be embedded in an ongoing prospective study of monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs vaccinated with the live-attenuated YFV-17D vaccine. Because exposure is standardized and samples are collected longitudinally before and after vaccination, the cohort provides a rare opportunity to separate inherited influences from shared environmental and individual-specific factors affecting human vaccine immunity.

Duties

The candidate will establish and lead the CD4+ T cell arm of the YFV twin programme. The central objective is to determine which features of vaccine-induced CD4+ T cell immunity are genetically constrained and how CD4+ T cell responses influence the development of coordinated cellular and humoral immunity.

The project will longitudinally assess YFV-specific CD4+ T cell responses after vaccination, including their magnitude, activation, differentiation, function and persistence. Using high-parameter flow cytometry and single-cell transcriptomic, surface-protein and TCR profiling, we will define helper and memory programmes and assess the relative contribution of genetic and non-genetic factors by comparing monozygotic and dizygotic twins. CD4⁺ T cell features will be integrated with YFV-specific CD8+ T cell, B cell and antibody responses to identify coordinated immune programmes associated with strong and durable vaccine immunity.

The project is collaborative and multidisciplinary. The fellow will work closely with experimental immunologists, clinicians, bioinformaticians and statisticians and will be encouraged to develop independent questions within the broader twin-vaccination programme.

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.

To be considered for the scholarship, the applicant must hold a PhD in immunology, biomedicine, molecular medicine or a related field and have documented research experience in human T cell immunology.

It is particularly meritorious if the applicant has:

• Research experience in CD4+ T cell differentiation and function in immunity.
• Hands-on experience with immune cell culture and functional immunological assays, such as flow cytometry, cytokine measurements, proliferation or activation assays.
• Experience generating and analysing single-cell RNA-seq data, including immune-cell annotation, pathway analysis and integration of samples or experimental conditions.
• Experience linking cellular states and immune-cell networks to functional outcomes.
• Experience with computational or bioinformatic analysis of complex immunological datasets, preferably using R or Python.
• A strong publication record in T cell immunology or a closely related field.
• Excellent written and spoken English and the ability to work effectively in a collaborative research environment.

It is also meritorious if the applicant has:

• Experience with spatial transcriptomics, CITE-seq, TCR-seq, immune-repertoire analysis or preparation of sequencing libraries.
• Experience with mechanistic perturbation approaches, such as CRISPR-based methods, is also advantageous.

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: Flemingsberg

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 research and methodological expertise, including a brief description of how the applicant's background fits the project (no more than one page)

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

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

First day of employment – According to agreement

Reference number – STÖD 2-3013/2026

Contact – Marcus Buggert, Manager, marcus.buggert@ki.seFredrika Aronsson, HR partner, fredrika.aronsson@ki.se

Union representative – Peter Svensson, SACO, peter.svensson@ki.seMari Gilljam, ORF, mari.gilljam@ki.seRobert Lindberg, SEKO, Robert.G.Lindberg@seko.se

Published – 01.Jul.2026

Last application date – 21.Jul.2026

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