Postdoctoral researcher in neurodegenerative disease mechanisms with focus on Alzheimer disease therapy

The Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS) conducts world leading research in aging, dementia, epidemiology and care sciences. This research extends from basic molecular and cell levels to clinical research and societal studies. NVS educates almost a third of KI students at basic and advanced levels. The Department has approximately 520 employees and a revenue 2022 of 518 million SEK. It comprises seven divisions, located at Campus Flemingsberg and Campus Solna.

The Division of Neurogeriatrics consists of about 65 employees. The division conducts experimental and translational research related primarily to Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, but also more general molecular mechanisms with biomedical relevance are studied. The division is mainly located in BioClinicum, KI Campus Solna, and partially in Neo, KI Campus Flemingsberg.

This position will be located at the KI Campus Solna in BioClinicum, in the group of Assoc Professor Lars Tjernberg in collaboration with Professor Bengt Winblad. The ultimate goal of the research in this group is to understand the pathological pathways leading to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and explore novel therapeutic concepts for AD.

This project focuses on the development of potential drugs that target amyloid and tau pathology for AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. We combine structural biology techniques such as computer aided drug design, biophysical and biochemical methods to develop potential drug candidates. We investigate biological effects of these candidates in different cell and animal models and validate them in proof-of-concept experiments.

The position involves the development of small molecules targeting intracellular interactions. Specifically, the duties include in silico drug design using virtual screening, hit-to-lead compound development, predictive artificial intelligence, lead optimization, plasmid manufacture, protein production, biophysical assays (such as thermal shift, isothermal titration calorimetry, surface plasmon resonance and biolayer interferometry), amplified luminescent proximity homogenous assay, cell culture and co-immunoprecipitation.

We are searching for 1 postdoc. The position is for temporary employment for two years.

We are looking for a highly motivated person who is well acquainted with computational chemistry and protein biophysics. Experience of in silico drug design, lead optimization and biophysical assays are required. Experience of predictive artificial intelligence, plasmid manufacture, protein production, co-immunoprecipitation, cell culture and bioinformatics is meritorious. Previous experience working with tau aggregation, ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation, and glycosylation will be advantageous. 

Good teamwork skills, the ability to work independently, and very good knowledge of English, both written and spoken, are also required.

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctor a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree is required. This eligibility requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time of the employment decision. It is considered as an advantage if you have completed your doctoral degree within the last three years, if there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier.

A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. At KI, you get to meet researchers working with a wide range of specialisms and methods, giving you ample opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with the various scientific fields within medicine and health. It is the crossover collaborations, which have pushed KI to where it is today, at the forefront of global research. Several of the people you meet in healthcare are educated at KI. A close relationship with the health care providers is important for creating groundbreaking top quality education and research. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several benefits through our collective agreement.

Location: BioClinicum, Solna

Choose to work at KI – Ten reasons why

An employment application must contain the following documents in English or Swedish:

• A complete resumé, including date of the thesis defence, title of the thesis, previous academic positions, academic title, current position, academic distinctions, and committee work
• A complete list of publications
• A summary of current work (no more than one page)

Welcome to apply at the latest January 31st, 2024.

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.