Research Specialist in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery of small molecules Part-time NEW

Research Specialist in Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery of Small Molecules

Do you want to contribute to improving human health?

Department of Clinical Neuroscience (CNS) conducts research and education in the field of neuroscience from the molecular level to the society level. The clinical research and education are conducted in collaboration with other research groups from the Karolinska Institutet, with other universities as well as the Stockholm County Council.

The research group of Translational Neuropharmacology combines basic science, clinical neurology and therapeutic innovation to develop the next generation treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders. Embedded in a multidisciplinary team led by Per Svenningsson, you will work at the interface of computational drug design, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and clinical neuroscience. This position provides opportunity to develop expertise across full drug discovery pipeline for preclinal candidates toward clinical applications.

During the appointment, the successful applicant will join a multidisciplinary team of drug discovery and development on novel G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) target for the treatment of neurological disorders such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease. He or she will lead chemistry for lead identification and lead optimization toward clinical candidates. The successful applicant is also expected to contribute to the group's educational environment by mentoring master's students and acting as co-supervisor for doctoral students, thereby gaining experience for future leadership roles.

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. Extensive experience with medicinal chemistry is required, including experience studies of GPCRs, design of blood brain permeable compounds with in vivo efficacy. Excellent command of English, both written and spoken, is required. Great importance will be placed on the ability to collaborate, initiative, and a strong commitment to the goals of the project. We also attach great importance to personal suitability.

It is particularly meritorious that the applicant has demonstrated a strong interest in translational research.

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

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.

Type of employment – Special fixed-term employment

Contract type – Part-time

First day of employment – According to agreement

Salary – Monthly salary

Number of positions – 1

Full-time equivalent – 20 %

City – Stockholm

County – Stockholms län

Country – Sweden

Reference number – STÖD 2-3995/2026

Contact – Mikaela Hernberg, HR Administrator, mikaela.hernberg@ki.se Per Svenningsson, Research group leader, per.svenningsson@ki.se