MSCA, Doctoral position in spatial biology in asthma

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 Mjösberg group studies the development, regulation and function of lymphocytes, particularly innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in humans, and how these cells contribute to pathology in mucosal organs such as the lung and gut. The group is particularly focused on asthma which is a widespread chronic respiratory disease that impose a heavy social and economic burden. The studies in the group are translational as they involve advanced basic molecular and cellular immunological investigations of precious human tissue samples to discover novel disease mechanisms and therapy targets. The group is internationally recognized as a leader in the field through several high impact publications in recent years (Nat Immunol 2016, Cell Res 2021, Sci Imm 2022 etc). The work will be performed in close collaboration with the Wheelock lab, which focuses on the use of mass spectrometry-based approaches to perform molecular phenotyping to understand the pathophysiology of inflammatory respiratory diseases, particularly asthma.

The doctoral student project and the duties of the doctoral student

The PhD student will be part of the MSCA Doctoral Network RESPIRE-EXCEL which is set to define endotypes of asthma and COPD by charting the cellular and molecular mechanisms in the airway wall and lung tissue. The ultimate goal is to find means of introducing precision medicine tailored to individual patients.

The goal of this specific PhD project, performed jointly in the Mjösberg group and Wheelock group at Karolinska Institutet, is to construct a comprehensive, spatially resolved multimodal atlas of pathologic cellular neighbourhoods and lipid mediators (e.g., eicosanoids) in airway walls in asthma. This will be done using lung biopsies from the UBIOPRED (Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease Outcomes) cohort, including a wide range of clinical, transcriptional, metabolomic and proteomic metadata to which spatial data can be correlated. We will assess spatial RNA 10X genomics or equivalent methods), immune-related proteins (Miltenyi MACSima) and lipid mediators (DESI mass spectrometry imaging) in defined sample sets of bronchial biopsies from patients with severe asthma to identify spatial cellular and lipid mediator interactions that define specific asthma endotypes.

As a PhD student in RESPIRE-EXCEL, you will be part of a dynamic, international team of young researchers. You will undertake your own research project at Karolinska Institutet, focusing on your specific area of interest. To broaden your expertise, you will also complete an internship at the RESPIRE-EXCEL partner organization AstraZeneca, UK. The RESPIRE-EXCEL program offers advanced interdisciplinary courses led by top experts in Precision Medicine for Respiratory Diseases. You will gain cross-sectoral competencies and multidisciplinary knowledge, enabling you to collaborate effectively with industry, healthcare, and academia. The RESPIRE-EXCEL consortium includes numerous academic, industrial, and societal partners from across Europe and the UK, such as the European Lung Foundation and the European Respiratory Society.

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.

Successful candidates must also fulfil the criteria defined by the European Commission:

As a Doctoral candidate, you have not been awarded a doctoral degree at the time of recruitment. At the time of recruitment by the host organisation, Doctoral candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date.

Skills and personal qualities

Required knowledge and skills specific for this PhD project:

• Training and experience of handling human tissues for spatial, preferably multidimensional, analyses is a must
• Some experience of, and inclination for, computational biology, including machine learning is a must

As the project is a team effort, excellent communication skills are essential, as is proven ability to work in multidisciplinary teams. It is expected that the PhD student also supervises other students and researchers, if necessary, as well as contribute to common lab duties.

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.

https://ki.se/en/research/research-areas-centres-and-networks/research-groups/human-innate-lymphoid-cell-lab-jenny-mjosberg-group#tab-start

https://ki.se/en/people/craig-wheelock

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