Postdoctoral studies computational biology(scholarship)

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

A postdoctoral scholarship is available in the lab of Michael Ratz at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet.

The Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) is a department with a strong focus on basic science. CMB conducts research and education in cell biology, molecular biology, developmental biology, stem cell biology, cancer and infection biology. CMB is located in Biomedicum, a interdisciplinary research center designed to concentrate much of the experimental research conducted at Karolinska Institutet Campus Solna under one roof to promote collaboration. Biomedicum houses approximately 1,200 researchers and other personnel and allows expensive equipment to be shared and utilized more effectively.

Division

The Ratz lab is working at the intersection of systems neuroscience, synthetic biology and spatial transcriptomics. Our goal is to reveal the wiring rules of neuronal network assembly in mammalian brains and to harness such insights for neural network engineering and therapy. The Ratz lab is using and developing cutting-edge approaches including viral barcoding, CRISPR perturbations in vivo, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics and computational methods for data analysis.

Research projects in the Ratz lab are supported by several funding bodies such as the European Research Council (ERC), the Swedish Research Council (VR) and the Swedish Society for Medical Research (SSMF).

Duties

The goal of this project is to establish a novel approach called “molecular connectomics” that enables scalable mapping of neuronal networks with single-cell resolution and gene expression information in intact tissue sections. You will create a computational framework to investigate in situ RNA-seq datasets collected from barcoded mouse brain sections. Your main role will be to develop the computational methods involved in this data-driven project (e.g. image processing, differential gene expression, clustering) and to employ those methods to identify the wiring rules of mammalian neural circuits. You will interact with experimental as well as computational scientists inside the lab.

Entry requirements

Qualifications:

* Background in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science or similar with a PhD in a relevant field.

* Experience in programming using Python (or a similar language) to address biological questions.

* Experience in genomic and/or transcriptomic data analysis.

* Interest in brain development, neural circuits and mouse models of brain disorders.

* Fluent written and spoken English.

Merits:

* Experience in single-cell and/or spatial transcriptomics.

* Experience in image processing with MATLAB.

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

Type of scholarship

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.

Application process

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)

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

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

1. Michael Ratz, michael.ratz@ki.se

1. Shahla Rostami, OFR, shahla.rostami@ki.se
2. Björn Andersson, SACO, bjorn.andersson@ki.se
3. Elisabeth Valenzuela, SEKO, elisabeth.valenzuela@ki.se