Project coordinator to the unit of Lung and Airway research

The Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM) is a department at Karolinska Institutet and an interdisciplinary research institution within the broad field of environmental medicine. IMM conducts cutting edge research within the areas of environmental and occupational medicine, toxicology, physiology, epidemiology, and biostatistics with the aim to clarify how environmental and lifestyle factors affect our health and which role genes have. IMM also serves as a scientific advisor to public authorities within the area of environmental medicine and IMM scientists participate in national and international expert groups.



Division

The Unit for Lung and Airway Research performs studies aimed at characterizing cellular and molecular mechanisms in pulmonary host defense of humans, to improve the understanding of the pathogenesis of obstructive airway disease including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.

A specific aim is to characterize how exposure to airborne environmental agents influences the mobilization of adaptive and innate immune cell populations in human airways. In particular, the impact of long-term tobacco smoking on IL-36-related cytokine signaling in relation to alterations in the microbiome will be characterized. 


Duties 

The position will include the responsibility for coordinating clinical and laboratory logistics of the practical handling of airway and blood samples from human healthy volunteers and long-term tobacco smokers with and without COPD and chronic bronchitis. The work requires close collaboration with specialist physicians at Karolinska University Hospital. The position also includes responsibility for developing and applying novel characterization strategies for analyzing the functional and cellular immunology of human airway and blood cells. In addition, the position may also include the responsibility for monitoring clinical subjects recruitment at Karolinska University Hospital.



Requirements 

The candidate should have a documented scientific background relevant to the immunological study of the IL-36 family of cytokines in human lungs. Additional background in the study of host defense against microbial infection and/or COPD is desired. In particular, a thorough technical and practical understanding of cell and molecular biology techniques, including flow cytometry, RT-PCR, ELISA and of methods for the harvest and culture of primary human airway and blood cells is important. Clinical experience of Respiratory Medicine and bronchoscopy is a strong merit. A proven ability to generate dedicated research funding is a strong merit as well.

Personal flexibility and good communication skills in English are critical. Documented experience in project coordination is a must. Interest in the future supervision of master students is a merit. To qualify, the applicant must hold a medical degree or a master degree in cell biology, immunology, medicine, molecular biology or similar field of research.

The position is 6 months temporary position with a chance to extension. The successful applicant must be ready to start working as of July 2018.

Application process
The application is to be submitted on the reqruitment system Varbi.

Karolinska Institutet is one of the world’s leading medical universities. Its vision is to significantly contribute to the improvement of human health. Karolinska Institutet accounts for the single largest share of all academic medical research conducted in Sweden and offers the country’s broadest range of education in medicine and health sciences. The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet selects the Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine.

Pursuant to the regulations of the Swedish National Archives, applications are kept on file for two years after the appointment has gained legal force. The regulations do not apply to attachments that have been printed or otherwise published. Karolinska Institutet strives to provide a workplace that has approximately the same number of women and men, is free of discrimination and offers equal opportunity to everyone.

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