Postdoctoral Researcher in bone metastatic cancer biology (scholarship)

Baryawno research group
The Translational embryonal neural tumor research laboratory is located at Biolclinicum in Stockholm and affiliated with the Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Dept of Women’s and Children’s health, Karolinska Institutet. The Baryawno laboratory consists of 3 Ph.D. students and is part of the group constellation of professor Per Kogner, associate professor John Inge Johnsen and associate professor Malin Wickström. The group consists of a total of 12 Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows. The focus of our research is to increase our biological understanding of the embryonal tumor neuroblastoma, to develop new therapies leading to better survival, less side effects and increased quality of life. We are applying basic, translational and clinical approaches in our research including, single cell technologies, bioinformatics, immunology and molecular biology as well as functional analysis and development of preclinical animal- and in vitro-models.  

The division of Pediatric Oncology and Surgery is a constellation of interdisciplinary research groups that are conducting laboratory, clinical, survivorship and healthcare research with the common goal to improve the survival, quality of life, care and treatment of children and adolescents with cancer or hematological diseases. Education is also performed at many academic levels, and we arrange courses and national and international meetings.

The postdoc project
The current project will be focused on creating a novel animal model of bone metastatic neuroblastoma both from murine and human cells. It will further use single-cell RNA-sequencing to characterize the experimental model that has been generated. The aim is to investigate the cellular and molecular landscape of neuroblastoma bone metastases at the single cell level and mechanisms of communication between cells within the tumor microenvironment in order to search for resistance mechanisms and novel therapy options. The postdoctoral candidate will be mentored by Dr Baryawno on the proposed project. More information on the work from the lab can be found in recent publications (Baryawno et al., Cell 2019; Kfoury, Baryawno et al., Cancer Cell 2021; Verhoeven et al., Cell Reports Medicine 2022; Alchahin et al., Nature Communications et al., 2022, Olsen et al., JCI Insights 2022).

Skills and personal qualities
The successful candidate should have a PhD in life sciences obtained no earlier than 2021. Experiences with preclinical animal cancer models and molecular biology are essential. Experience with multicolor flow cytometry and basic bioinformatic analysis is a benefit but not essential. The ability to work with people of different backgrounds, and contribute to a project team is important. Applicants must be able to work independently and have good communication skills in English.  

Scholarships for postdoctoral qualification can be established for foreign researchers who place their qualifications in Sweden. The purpose of scholarships for postdoctoral qualification is to promote internationalization and contribute to research qualification after a doctorate or equivalent.
A scholarship for carrying out postdoctoral research can be granted for a maximum of two years within a four year period following the receipt of a doctoral degree or equivalent.
To be eligible for a postdoctoral scholarship, the person must have obtained a doctorate or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctorate. Applicants who have not completed a doctorate at the end of the application period may also apply, provided that all requirements for a completed degree are met before the (intended) start date of the post doctoral education.

The head of the department determines whether their previous training and scholarly qualifications correspond to a Swedish doctorate or higher.

Location: Stockholm

The amount is tax free and it is set for twelve months at a time, paid out on a six months basis. In exceptional cases, shorter periods may be acceptable.

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

• A complete curriculum vitae, 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)
• Two letters of recommendation
• Personal letter

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