Assistant Professor in Data-Driven Precision Medicine and Diagnostics (DDLS Fellow)

Karolinska Institutet (KI) is recruiting researchers as part of the Data-Driven Life Sciences (DDLS) Fellows program. The successful candidate will join KI and conduct research at the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) as part of a vibrant community of researchers from all the SciLifeLab host universities at SciLifeLab Campus Solna.

We are looking for a talented researcher who is expected to both develop and adapt cutting-edge computational tools in world-leading independent research. We strive to have a diverse environment, and we highly encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply.

Your mission

Temporary time limited employment as Assistant Professor for a maximum of six years at KI. The purpose of employment as an Assistant Professor is to develop research skills as an independent researcher and acquire scientific and pedagogical qualifications. The position has a focus on research but may also include teaching and management tasks.

KI offers the opportunity to be promoted from Assistant Professor to Senior Lecturer. You can read more about current assessments criteria here.

The National DDLS Fellows Program

Data-driven life science (DDLS) uses data, computational methods and artificial intelligence to study biological systems and processes at all levels, from molecular structures and cellular processes to human health and global ecosystems. The SciLifeLab and Wallenberg National Program for Data-Driven Life Science (DDLS), coordinated by SciLifeLab, aims to recruit and train the next-generation of data-driven life scientists and to create globally leading computational and data science capabilities in Sweden. The program is funded with a total of 3.3 billion SEK (about 350 MUSD) over 12 years from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg (KAW) Foundation.

The DDLS program funds 50 high-profile young group leaders (“Fellows”), over 210 postdoctoral positions and has established a research school for 260 PhDs, including industry PhDs and postdocs. Fellows are recruited to the 11 participating host universities/organizations, but brought together under the DDLS program, which has four strategic areas: cell and molecular biology, evolution and biodiversity, precision medicine and diagnostics, epidemiology and biology of infection. For more information, please see www.scilifelab.se/data-driven.

During 2022-2024, the first and second round of 39 Fellows joined and now we are looking to recruit an additional group of 11 Fellows. Each DDLS Fellow will receive a recruitment package of 17 MSEK (about 1.6 MUSD) for a 5-year period, covering their own salary and other resources, such as salaries for PhD students and postdoc positions. The Fellowships are tenure-track positions with the host organizations, which assume the responsibility for the long-term faculty appointments following a tenure evaluation.

Data-Driven Precision Medicine and Diagnostics

Data-driven precision medicine and diagnostics cover data integration, analysis, visualization, and data interpretation for patient stratification, discovery of biomarkers for disease risks, diagnosis, drug response and monitoring of health. Precision medicine research is expected to make use of existing strong assets in Sweden and abroad, such as molecular data (e.g. omics), imaging, electronic health care records, longitudinal patient and population registries and biobanks. The applicant is expected to have a strong computational focus on innovative development and application of novel data-driven methods relying on machine learning, artificial intelligence, or other computational techniques.

SciLifeLab

SciLifeLab is an academic collaboration between multiple Swedish universities and distributed national research infrastructure with a distinct focus on health and environmental research (http://www.scilifelab.se/). The core mission of SciLifeLab is to provide technologies facilitating the large-scale analysis of biological processes at the molecular level. SciLifeLab Campus Solna, founded in 2010 as a joint effort by KI, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University, is the largest SciLifeLab site where multiple universities are co-localized under a single roof. SciLifeLab Campus Solna houses state-of-the-art resources and technological infrastructures, e.g., high throughput DNA sequencing, analysis of gene single cell and spatial transcriptomics), protein profiling, cellular profiling, chemical and functional biology, advanced visualization, advanced bioinformatics, structural biology, biostatistics, and systems biology. By working together KI, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University have been able to achieve a significant critical mass of researchers (> 100 research groups, about 1200 staff) including one of the largest groups of bioinformaticians and computational biologists in the EU.

The SciLifeLab Group Leaders form the backbone of our research community, driving the continuous development of SciLifeLab through their cutting-edge research and deep expertise. As leaders at the forefront of their scientific fields, they play a vital role in shaping and advancing our center’s mission—to develop and provide world-class life science infrastructure, strengthen scientific communities and international collaborations, transform life science data into knowledge, attract and foster scientific excellence through advanced training, and support innovation and bridge-building for the benefit of society. The research environment at SciLifeLab Campus Solna is one of the strongest life science centers in the world.

At SciLifeLab, we strive to align with Open Science principles. Open Science aims to make scientific research more transparent, accessible, and collaborative. By engaging with Open Science principles, SciLifeLab can further improve the quality and reliability of the scientific outputs we produce and the services that we provide. By engaging with Open Science principles, we ensure that publicly funded research is accessible to the wider community, amplifying our global impact, accelerating innovation and maximizing scientific progress and societal benefit.

All DDLS Fellows are by default also SciLifeLab Group Leaders. (More information about this community, and what the role entails can be found here.)

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for an appointment as Assistant Professor, you must demonstrate good scientific skills and according to KI’s eligibility criteria as follows:

• A PhD (or equivalent degree) in the relevant subject area
• At least two peer-reviewed original scientific publications as first or last author, in addition to the doctoral thesis

Priority is given to those who were awarded a PhD (or attained equivalent competence) no more than seven years prior to the expiry of the deadline for the application. Those who have been awarded a doctoral degree or attained equivalent research competence earlier will also be considered if there are special circumstances for absence from research (deductible time), such as: parental leave, long-term illness, positions of trust in trade union organizations or mandatory service in total defense. The circumstances, dates and extent must be clearly specified in the application and verified by relevant documentation.

For this call, exceptions are made from all pedagogical requirements specified in the instructions to the employment regulations for teachers at KI. However, you must complete three weeks of higher education pedagogical courses in accordance with SUHF's recommendations no later than two years after starting employment as an Assistant Professor, unless you can certify that equivalent training has been completed before starting the position.

The eligibility requirements are outlined in the Instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at Karolinska Institutet.

Assessment criteria

Candidates will be evaluated based both on scientific and pedagogical skills, with greater emphasis placed on scientific excellence. The full set of assessment criteria is outlined in the Instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at KI.

The assessment of scientific skills will be based on peer-reviewed original articles, as well as articles intended for peer-review and other items and types of publications such as articles in press, pre-prints, articles in manuscript form; other published peer-reviewed items such as reviews, books and book chapters; as well as other relevant published items not peer-reviewed such as protocols, datasets, code and patents.

Particularly meritorious is the scientific quality, originality, and feasibility of your research plan within the relevant subject area.

In addition to the general eligibility requirements and assessment criteria, the alignment of your application with the objectives of the call, as well as its relevance to the DDLS program and SciLifeLab, will be considered in the overall assessment.

About the position

DDLS Fellows are based both at SciLifeLab and at one of KI’s 21 departments. The successful applicants must independently identify and agree with a department at KI regarding the employment as Assistant Professor, as well as negotiate the terms of employment. The employment is agreed with the receiving department, which is also responsible for salary setting. The employment will commence at the receiving department no later than January 1st, 2027 (extension may be granted in exceptional circumstances).

The position as Assistant Professor is a time limited career development position for a maximum of six years in total at KI. The DDLS Program provides funding for the first five years of the position, and for the sixth and final year the receiving department at KI will provide funding for the Fellow’s salary, if the Fellow has not obtained any additional funding to cover their salary.

In the event an applicant who is rewarded with a position through the call is already employed as Assistant Professor at KI, the time already used in this position will be deducted and the allocated funds will also be reduced correspondingly. An applicant who is already employed as Assistant Professor at KI can only obtain a new position within the framework of this announcement if the applicant has been employed for less than two years. The total period of employment may not exceed six years.

What do we offer?

A creative, international, and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. KI 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 KI, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. 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. KI is also a state university, which entitles you to several good benefits through our collective agreement.

Want to know more about benefits at KI and in Sweden? See Why become a researcher at KI?

Application process

We prefer that your application is written in English. Applications must contain the following documents, and should be uploaded as separate files numbered and named as follows:

1. Cover letter
2. CV max 3 pages*
3. Publication list**
4. Certificate of doctoral degree
5. Contact details for three referees
6. Research plan including statement concerning relevance to the call (max 4 pages including references)
7. Proof of deductible time

* CV should include description of teaching qualifications for assessment of good pedagogical skills (see above).

** Items should be listed in reverse chronological order under each heading and have the author list identical to the published work with the candidate’s name highlighted in bold. Items published after the completed PhD period should be clearly underlined. All published items should include a hyperlinked DOI. Please clearly indicate what category each item belongs to (e.g. book chapter, review, protocol, pre-print, etc.)

1. Published peer-reviewed original articles

2. Original articles intended for peer-review and publication such as articles in press, pre-prints, articles in manuscript form

3. Other published peer-reviewed items such as reviews, books and book chapters

4. Other relevant published items not peer-reviewed such as protocols, datasets, code, patents, etc.

Please submit your application no later than November 15, 2025. No applications, revisions or additions to applications will be accepted after this date.