Doctoral (PhD) student position in Systems Immunology - 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

In the research group of Professor Petter Brodin, we aim to understand human immune system variation in health and disease, understand the factors that shape human immune systems early in life, and understand how the immune system composition and function changes over time. A core theme for our research is the belief that analyzing all system components simultaneously and taking their relationships into account will result in a better inference of how the immune system behaves in different conditions and in different individuals.

To understand systems-level behaviors in the human immune system, we both develop novel and apply established experimental and data analysis tools that allow for comprehensive analyses of blood samples using mass cytometry, cell sorting and sequencing-based approaches.

We at the Brodin lab always aim for an open and welcoming environment, and consists of a multi-disciplinary group of experimentalists, lab technicians, computational biologists, developers, PhD students and researchers of various background.

The research group is located at BioMedicum, at Karolinska Institutet Solna, a top modern facility for experimental medical research that offers an attractive research environment with high tech equipment and core facilities.

The doctoral student project and the duties of the doctoral student

Doctoral studies corresponds to 4 years of full time studies. This includes courses, seminars, presentations of scientific results at meeting and conferences, laboratory and computational work. Other areas of responsibilities include procure and obtain knowledge of recent literature, statistics and bioinformatic analyses and writing scientific manuscripts for publications.

The project consists of studying cell-cell interactions and dependencies within the human immune system using transcriptomic data from both healthy subjects and individuals with various diseases.
Part of the project will be in the context of a DDLS-WASP financed cooperative project together with researchers at KTH. The student will primarily focus on the computational side of data analysis, but will be highly encouraged to engage in methodological development to fulfill the needs for specific assays and inquiring transcriptomic data.

The doctoral student is further expected to attend, discuss and present at lab meetings and journal clubs, perform complex statistical analysis, design and conduct experimental studies of the project and collaborate on related projects led by others both within and outside of the lab.

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 successful candidate must:
Have a documented interest for medical research, eg through a recommendation letter.
Have previous experience of sequencing data, such as single cell RNA sequencing data.
Have completed a higher degree of education within medicine or data science.
Have a great interest, motivation and innovative mind towards studying systems immunology.
Have a good-to-excellent coding skill in Python and R.
Be proficient in writing and speaking both English and Swedish.

Desirable:
Having both bioinformatic expertise and a medical education, preferably with clinical experience.
An eduction within both medicine and data science is highly advantageous.
Previous experience of immunology research is of great merit.

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.

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