Doctoral (PhD) student position in Rheumatology - 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

The research will be performed at the Department of Medicine that is one of the largest clinical departments at Karolinska Institutet and conducts research in the fields of allergy, cardiovascular medicine and inflammatory diseases. You will work within the group “Translational medical research in inflammatory diseases”, led by Professor Per-Johan Jakobsson at the Rheumatology Division, Centrum of Molecular Medicine. The group is focused on targets and pathways in rheumatic and related diseases driven by inflammation using a pharmacological approach. In collaboration with Uppsala University and Guangdong Provincial Hospital for Chinese Medicine, we are running JRBCM project, which aims to explore Chinese herbal medicine for development of novel drugs for rheumatic diseases.

The doctoral student project and the duties of the doctoral student

We are looking for a PhD-student who will work in the JRBCM project focusing on characterization of the anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic actions of substances from plants used in traditional Chinese medicine. The project is generating a compound library with known and unknown molecules and the further identification of compounds will be guided by human bioactivity assays. Mechanisms of actions of bioactive compounds will be investigated using relevant to Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) inflammatory cells and signaling pathway reporter assays. Quantitative proteomic approach will be applied to identify proteins whose levels are altered after treatment with specific bioactive compounds. The effects of the plant compounds on arachidonic acid cascade will be analyzed using high performance mass spectrometry. Anti-rheumatic properties of the compounds will be validated in experimental models of arthritis. The PhD-student is responsible for planning and performing the experiments, analyzing the data, and reporting and publishing the results in scientific journals and at international conferences.

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

We are looking for a talented and highly motivated student with M.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology. The applicant must have practical experience of signaling pathway reporter assays, flow cytometry, cell culture and mass spectrometry technique as well as previous experience in processing of large amounts of data. Previous experience of similar projects is meriting. The successful candidate must have very good communication and collaborative skills and good knowledge of written and spoken English is essential.

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.

Location

The position is located within the Department of Medicine, Solna. The department consists of twelve divisions and each division consists of several research groups. The position is located within the research group of Professor Per-Johan Jakobsson “Translational medical research in inflammatory diseases”, at Centrum of Molecular Medicine. The research group consists of about 20 researchers with varying backgrounds and from several countries, and it runs several research projects, of which the current one is one of the larger. https://ki.se/en/meds/research-group-per-johan-jakobsson.

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