Postdoctoral Researcher

We are looking for a highly motivated and ambitious scientist to join our collaborative, multidisciplinary research team focused on developing new treatment strategies for lung cancer patients.

HaikaLab Immuno-oncology Research Group at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, is seeking a curiosity-driven computational immunologist, computational biologist, or cancer immunologist with strong data analytical skills to study tumor-immune interactions and therapy resistance mechanisms in lung cancer.

Our research focuses on understanding how the tumor microenvironment shapes immunotherapy responses using state-of-the-art technologies, including single-cell sequencing, spatial profiling, and advanced patient-derived ex vivo models. We are particularly interested in identifying novel therapeutic vulnerabilities and predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy responses in lung cancer.

The candidate will join a dynamic and collaborative translational research environment operating across both the University of Helsinki and Tampere University. The Principal Investigator of the laboratory is Assistant Professor Heidi Haikala, who completed her postdoctoral training at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School before returning to Finland to establish her own research group.

We are particularly interested in candidates with either:

• Strong computational and bioinformatics expertise combined with interest in immunology and cancer biology, or
• Deep expertise in immunology or cancer immunology together with computational and data analytical skills

This position is ideal for someone excited about working at the interface of immunology, cancer biology, data science, and translational medicine.

Responsibilities

• Investigate tumor-immune interactions and immunotherapy resistance mechanisms in lung cancer
• Analyze multi-omics datasets from patient-derived tissues and advanced model systems
• Develop and apply computational approaches for translational cancer research
• Collaborate closely with experimental scientists, clinicians, and bioinformaticians
• Contribute to mentoring and training the next generation of scientists
• Contribute to scientific publications, grant applications, and project development
• Participate in building new computational and translational research directions within the laboratory

Requirements

• PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, immunology, cancer biology, systems biology, or a related field
• Strong interest in immunology, cancer research, and translational medicine
• Experience in, or strong motivation to learn, computational analysis of biological data
• Experience with, or strong interest in learning, single-cell, transcriptomics, spatial biology, or other omics data analysis approaches
• Programming skills in R, Python, or equivalent
• Ability to work independently while contributing actively to an interdisciplinary research team
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in English

We especially value scientific curiosity, initiative, and the ability to bridge computational and biological thinking.

We offer

• An inspiring and international research environment at the interface of computational, translational, and clinical cancer research
• Access to unique patient-derived datasets and cutting-edge technologies
• Opportunities to work closely with clinicians, experimental researchers, and computational scientists
• A collaborative, ambitious, and supportive multidisciplinary team
• Opportunities to contribute to high-impact cancer research and development of future immunotherapies
• Flexibility to shape the direction of your research project based on your expertise and interests

The position is located at the University of Helsinki, with close collaborations across both the University of Helsinki and Tampere University.

The call is open until 31st of July, but we might close the call whenever we find a suitable applicant. We hope that the selected candidate could start as soon as possible.

Applications must include:

• CV
• Motivation letter describing your research interests, previous experience, and how your profile matches the position and research topics of our team
• Contact information for referees

The typical starting gross salary for comparable UH Postdoctoral researcher roles is approximately €3700–€3900/month (depending on duties and experience)