PhD candidate with a KID grant to evaluate novel smooth muscle cell therapeutic targets in atherosclerosis - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

To be a doctoral student means to devote oneself to a research project under supervision of experienced researchers and following an individual study plan. For a doctoral degree, the equivalent of four years of full-time doctoral education is required.

The research group

Team Translational Vascular Medicine, within the research group Vascular Surgery.
The prospective PhD candidate will be recruited to the Team Translational Vascular Medicine led by Assoc Prof Ljubica Matic, MSc, PhD, who will also act as the main supervisor for the student. This Team is integrated within the large Vascular Surgery research group, MMK, KI, which is dedicated to translational and clinical research on vascular diseases and pathological vascular conditions in general. The Team Translational Vascular Medicine is specialized in molecular mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis and vascular injury. This Team is situated at the new BioClinicum building, it belongs also to the Center for Molecular Medicine and gathers several other PhD students and postdocs.

The vascular diseases and conditions addressed in our research are atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysms, peripheral arterial disease as well as restenosis after vascular interventions. Altogether these conditions contribute to the high overall cardiovascular mortality, dominated by complications of atherosclerosis such as myocardial infarction or stroke. In order to better understand the development and progression of vascular disease, our aim is to dissect and explore the cellular behavior and molecular pathways in complex vascular tissues. Over the past decades we have, together with the Vascular Surgery Clinic, Karolinska Hospital, assembled several large biobanks of human and murine vascular tissues (i.e. BiKE-Biobank of Karolinska Endarterectomies; STAAAB-Stockholm Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Biobank; BiRCA-Biobank of Rat Carotid Artery injury, etc.). Our platform enables large-scale multivariate analyses of gene and protein expression from vascular lesions and blood, combined with genetic and clinical parameters, as well as follow up studies in animal and cell culture models of vascular injury and disease.

The doctoral student project and the duties of the doctoral student

The overall goal of the proposed project, with Assoc Prof Ljubica Matic as the PI, is to explore the potential of smooth muscle cells for novel treatment options targeting unstable atherosclerosis. We aim to combine large-scale omics analyses of human atherosclerosis, with in vitro studies of smooth muscle cells and proof-of-principle studies of identified targets in mouse models. The PhD student will explore the biology of identified candidate proteins, which play a key role in smooth muscle cell activation and modulation during vascular remodeling and atheroprogression. The student will work with smooth muscle cell lineage tracing mice, hyperlipidemic mice and surgical models of vascular injury. Importantly, the work will practically encompass microsurgery on mice, primary cell isolations, sophisticated in vitro studies including developing organoids (aorta-on-chip technology), histology and advanced microscopy, as well as managing different collaborations and core facilities for analyses.

The project holds translational potential in opening new opportunities for improved treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease, but also carries considerable novelty in the research field. We offer a position in one of the leading groups in the field of vascular disease with an excellent network of international and industrial collaborators, and longstanding experience in translational science. The project will be conducted in a multidisciplinary environment at the interface between academia and big pharma industry, where resources and expertise in animal surgery, clinical patient material processing and bioinformatics will be available. However, excellent experimental methodological skill and dedication will be necessary for successfully conducting the project.

What do we offer?

A creative and inspiring environment full of expertise and curiosity. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Our vision is to pursue the development of knowledge about life and to promote a better health for all. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. As a doctoral student you are offered an individual research project, a well-educated supervisor, a vast range of elective courses and the opportunity to work in a leading research group. Karolinska Institutet collaborates with prominent universities from all around the world, which ensures opportunities for international exchanges. You will be employed on a doctoral studentship which means that you receive a contractual salary. Employees also have access to our modern gym for free and receive reimbursements for medical care.

Eligibility requirements for doctoral education

In order to participate in the selection for a doctoral position, you must meet the following general (A) and specific (B) eligibility requirements at latest by the application deadline.

It is your responsibility to certify eligibility by following the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

A) General eligibility requirement

You meet the general eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

1. have been awarded a second-cycle/advanced/master qualification (i.e. master degree), or
2. have satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the advanced/second-cycle/master level, or
3. have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.*

Follow the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

*If you claim equivalent knowledge, follow the instructions on the web page Assessing equivalent knowledge for general eligibility for doctoral education.

B) Specific eligibility requirement

You meet the specific eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

- Show proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school.

Follow the instructions on the web page English language requirements for doctoral education.

Verification of your documents Karolinska Institutet checks the authenticity of your documents. Karolinska Institutet reserves the right to revoke admission if supporting documents are discovered to be fraudulent. Submission of false documents is a violation of Swedish law and is considered grounds for legal action.

(A) and (B) can only be certified by the documentation requirement for doctoral education.

Skills and personal qualities

The suitable candidate should have a biomedical, biochemical, cell/molecular biology, molecular medicine or pharmaceutical background and interest in the complex pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. We are looking for a highly motivated person that should be dedicated to full time experimental research, have the potential to work both independently and within a translational team, and manage the close collaboration between academia, clinic and pharma industry. The daily work is laboratory based and includes state-of-the-art in vivo, in vitro and in situ molecular techniques, situated in modern new laboratories. Willingness to work with animals is a requirement and previous practical experience in animal and cell culture experimentation will be considered as strong advantage. Additional experience in omics data bioinformatic analyses and tissue processing for histology will be assessed as highly meritorious.
The selected person will be expected to plan, perform, analyze and interpret experimental results independently and within the Team, present at congresses, and participate in national/international collaboration networks. Willingness to work flexibly in order to achieve project demands and targets as agreed within the Team is necessary. Being able to organise and prioritise own work, as well as organising research within the project timetable and planned deliverables is essential. Maintaining accurate and up to date electronic records for projects is necessary. Fluency in English is a requirement, knowledge of Swedish is not necessary but will be considered an advantage. Good social, organisational and analytical skills are essential. Ability to travel to other countries is essential and possibilities will exist for conducting research visits abroad

Terms and conditions

The doctoral student will be employed on a doctoral studentship maximum 4 years full-time.

Application process

Submit your application and supporting documents through the Varbi recruitment system. Use the button in the top right corner and follow the instructions. We prefer that your application is written in English, but you can also apply in Swedish.

Your application must contain the following documents:

- A personal letter and a curriculum vitae
- Degree projects and previous publications, if any
- Any other documentation showing the desirable skills and personal qualities described above
- Documents certifying your general eligibility (see A above)
- Documents certifying your specific eligibility (see B above)

Selection

A selection will be made among eligible applicants on the basis of the ability to benefit from doctoral education. The qualifications of the applicants will be evaluated on an overall basis.

Karolinska Institutet uses the following bases of assessment:

- Documented subject knowledge of relevance to the area of research
- Analytical skill
- Other documented knowledge or experience that may be relevant to doctoral studies in the subject.

All applicants will be informed when the recruitment is completed.

Read more:https://www.cmm.ki.se/ljubica-matic-team

https://ki.se/mmk/members-of-team-ljubica-matic

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