Doctoral (PhD) student position in computational screening of cancer mutations - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Do you want to contribute to top biomedical and interdisciplinary 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

Our lab on “Protein Dynamics and Mutation” strives to push biomedical research beyond its current boundaries integrating simulations and experiments at different scales. Our goal is to understand the structural and conformational mechanisms of proteins and how are they affected by cancer and mendelian disorders. We aim to recruit a team of passionate scientists at the cross-roads of structural and computational biology, with a genuine interest in human diseases and life mechanisms from a biophysical perspective. The group expertise encompasses from the development of coarse-grained and atomistic simulation methods to cryo-electron microscopy. Our research is performed in an interdisciplinary setting with strong collaboration with experimentalists and clinicians at KI, as well as national and international groups. Approximately 300 people from over 40 nations are currently working at the Department of Oncology-Pathology in about 30 research groups with cancer research profiles spanning from basic to translational and clinical research.

More information at

https://ki.se/en/onkpat/laura-orellanas-group

The doctoral student project and the duties of the doctoral student

The doctoral project will focus on developing an efficient computational pipeline to conformationally screen clusters of cancer mutations beyond Tier-1 and 2 genes, integrating structural bioinformatics, coarse-grained and atomistic modelling and machine learning algorithms. She/he will learn computational techniques to study and model protein dynamics, its evolutionary conservation and how it is coupled to biological function and human disease. The student is expected to take an independent role developing and integrating algorithms in collaboration with other team members, and ideally, identifying and investigating the molecular mechanisms of novel mutations and their potential impact on the cell. He/She is expected to participate writing manuscripts for international scientific journals, as well as contribute to undergraduate and post-graduate educational and dissemination activities.

What do we offer?

• Our team integrates theoretical work with biomedical research. You will have the possibility to collaborate with experimentalists and clinicians to validate computational simulations and potentially translate them into new treatments.
• Karolinska Institute is one of the world's leading medical universities, and responsible to award the Nobel Prize in Medicine. A creative and inspiring environment full of expertise and curiosity, with top-level infrastructure for life sciences
• Karolinska Institute is a public university, which entitles employees to several social benefits, access to sports facilities for free and reimbursements for medical care. 

Location: KI Solna Campus

Links:

See Prof. Orellana’s lab page for more information and selected publications:

https://ki.se/en/onkpat/laura-orellanas-group

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 highly motivated, creative and independent doctoral researcher to join a new and growing research group dedicated to understand the effects of mutations from a conformational and evolutionary perspective. The candidate will have proven experience with programming and bioinformatics and ideally, will also have a solid knowledge of biophysics and structural biology. He/She will be eager to learn new methods beyond its main expertise field. Previous research experience e.g. in MSc projects, specially applying machine learning and structural bioinformatics, and evidence of intellectual independence, will be highly valued.  

Fluency in English, a high level of organizational and communication skills, as well as an ability to work independently, is mandatory. The candidate is also expected to take a strong lead in managing the project, and contribute to writing manuscripts.

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.

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