Postdoctoral Researcher in Proteomics investigation of microbiome-metabolome-host interaction in cancer

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC) at Karolinska Institutet conducts research and teaching within immunology, infection biology, cell biology and cancer. Our key words are multidisciplinary, bridging, national and international collaborations.

Join our multidisciplinary research group (Saei Lab) in an exciting project on understanding how the gut microbiome and its metabolites promote colon cancer. Our team has a solid background in proteomics, bioinformatics and biochemistry. You will combine versatile methods including mass spectrometry-based proteomics, cell-based techniques, microbiology, molecular biology and biochemistry to identify the targets and mechanism of microbes and metabolites that modulate cancer growth. We aim to validate the most essential targets in vitro and in vivo, to rationalize the development of novel drugs through high-throughput screening in the longer term. If you enjoy making original fundamental discoveries in cancer research, this position is for you.

Your mission

The applicant will work on the tumorigenicity of certain metabolites in cancer, from in vitro to in vivo models. The main duties include performing cell biology and omics experiments, as well as designing creative biochemistry and molecular biology experiments to follow up on the generated hits and potentially performing experiments in a mouse model. The applicant is expected to set up novel experimental approaches within the research group. The project will also involve the recombinant expression of the target proteins and testing various binding assays to validate metabolite binding. The applicant will be supported in data analysis but is expected to have experience or interest in data analysis and visualization. The applicant is expected to actively participate in other lab projects, collaborate, supervise students, write papers and grants, and present results to general and specialized audiences.

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.

Requirements for the position:

• You are an enthusiastic and motivated person with a strong background in cancer biology, molecular biology and microbiology.
• The successful applicant should have a strong publication record, and a very good knowledge of English, both written and spoken.
• The candidate should be able to work independently and interactively with our team and collaborators.
• The applicant should have experience in basic bioinformatics.
• Specific experience in cancer metabolism and previous work with model systems to study metabolism are meritorious.

Meritorious for the position:

• Experience in mass spectrometry-based proteomics.
• Experience in bioinformatics and programming.
• Experience in growing different oral and gut bacteria.

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: Solna

Links:

• Read more about our department.
• You find more information about the research group here

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.

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

Type of employment: Temporary position
Contract type: Full time
First day of employment: According to agreement
Salary: Månadslön
Number of positions: 1
Full-time equivalent: 100 %
City: Solna
County: Stockholms län
Country: Sweden
Reference number: STÖD 2-1516/2026

Contact: Amirata Saei Dibavar

Union representative:
1. Björn Andersson, SACO,
2. Elizabeth Valenzuela, SEKO,
3. Carina Eklund, ST-OFR,

Published: 2026-04-10
Last application date: 2026-05-01