Postdoctoral Researcher in Bacterial vaccines

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.

The research group

We search for a postdoctoral researcher that together with Professor Birgitta Henriques Normark, her research group and her collaborators will work on projects in bacteriology and respiratory tract infections to develop vaccines.

The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies infectious diseases as one of the greatest global health threats. Respiratory tract infections are major causes of morbidity and death globally. Pneumococci are a major contributor to both morbidity and mortality and being the most common causes of milder respiratory tract infections such as otitis media and sinusitis as well as of severe diseases such as pneumonia, septicemia and meningitis. However, pneumococci are also common colonizers of the upper respiratory tract of healthy children. Group A streptococci are major causes of milder respiratory tract infections such as tonsillitis, as well as skin infections, but also to more severe diseases such as septicemia, necrotizing fasciitis, and toxic shock syndrome. There is also a risk for sequelae including rheumatic heart disease.

The research group focuses on pathogenesis and host-microbe interactions with a major interest in pneumococcal and streptococcal infections.

Your mission

This position includes studies of bacterial pathogenicity, vaccines and immune responses with a focus on pneumococcal and streptococcal infections. Identified vaccine candidates will be evaluated using genetic, proteomic, immunological and molecular microbiology technologies as well as using in vitro and in vivo models. A production line for bacterial membrane vesicles will be set up. The two major targets are pneumococcal and streptococcal infections.

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

• A PhD in microbiology and immune responses.
• Previous work on immune responses, B- and T-cell responses and using methods such as ELISA/FluoroSpot, opsonophagocytosis assays focusing on pneumococcal and streptococcal infections.
• Documented experience in relevant research areas, especially previous experiences in microbiology and of molecular techniques, and in vitro and especially in vivo animal model systems for streptococcal and pneumococcal infections and FELASA B.
• Ability to think creatively, strong social skills, and proficiency in languages, particularly English and Swedish. Good interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively as part of a team are essential.

Meritorious

• Experience of international collaborations and project management is considered an advantage.

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

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)

KI applies individual and differentiated salary setting in accordance with our collective agreements RALS and RALS-T

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!

Anställningsform: tidsbegränsad anställning | Anställningens omfattning: heltid | Antal lediga befattningar: 1 | Sysselsättningsgrad: 100 % | Ort: Solna | Län: Stockholms län | Land: Sweden | Referensnummer: STÖD 2-4574/2026 | Kontakt: Birgitta Henriques Normark , Birgitta Henriques Normark , | Facklig företrädare: Carina Eklund, OFR/ST , Carina Eklund, OFR/ST , Björn Andersson, SACO , Björn Andersson, SACO , Robert Lindberg , Robert Lindberg , | Publicerat: 2026-11-06 | Sista ansökningsdag: 2026-11-27