Postdoctoral position in DNA repair and translational drug discovery

The Helleday Laboratory at Karolinska Institutet is a world-leading environment in DNA repair and translational drug discovery, with a strong track record in developing first-in-class therapeutics. Our research bridges medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, and clinical application, particularly in targeting DNA repair pathways in the context of cancer, inflammation, and fibrosis. As part of our team, you will work at the forefront of PROTAC and small-molecule drug development, with direct opportunities to translate discoveries into therapeutic strategies. You will join a highly collaborative and international environment with access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and expertise.

Your mission

Working closely with the medicinal chemistry team leader, you will advance our medicinal chemistry efforts aimed at developing novel therapeutics targeting DNA repair enzymes, with a particular focus on DNA glycosylases.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Design, synthesis, and optimisation of small-molecule inhibitors targeting DNA repair enzymes.
• Development of PROTACs, including design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationship exploration.
• Close collaboration with interdisciplinary teams to evaluate compounds in biochemical and cellular assays.
• Contribution to assay development, including PROTAC degradation and mechanistic studies.
• Preparation of scientific publications, presentations and grant applications.

Your profile

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

In addition, the successful candidate should have:

• A PhD in Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, or a closely related discipline.
• A minimum of 4 years of research experience in organic chemistry with significant emphasis on medicinal chemistry.
• Demonstrated expertise in DNA repair, particularly DNA glycosylases.
• Proven experience in developing small-molecule inhibitors targeting DNA repair enzymes.
• Significant experience in PROTAC design and development.
• A strong track record of peer-reviewed publications.

Meritorious qualifications include:

• Experience in PROTAC assay development and degradation profiling.
• Familiarity with structure-based drug design and computational chemistry tools.
• Expertise in prodrug development and covalent inhibitor design.
• Experience with biophysical and enzymatic assays.
• Knowledge of ADME and pharmacokinetic optimisation.
• Experience working in international and interdisciplinary environments bridging chemistry and biology.

What do we offer?

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: Science For Life Laboratory, Solna

Application

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

• PhD certificate
• 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)

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system. Apply at the latest 25th May.

This position is for two years, with possibility of extension.

Type of employment: Temporary position
Contract type: Full time
First day of employment: According to agreement
Salary: Monthly salary
Number of positions: 1
Full-time equivalent: 100 %
City: Solna
County: Stockholms län
Country: Sweden
Reference number: STÖD 2-1921/2026