Staff scientist in chemical lipid biology and structural interactomics

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Project description

The Chorell research group is recruiting a staff scientist for a project that develops spatially and temporally resolved sphingolipidomics to understand mitochondrial lipid-protein interactions in insulin resistance. The project combines mitochondria-targeted, photo-caged sphingolipid precursors and photoactivatable, clickable ceramide and deoxyceramide probes with UV activation, click-chemistry-based enrichment, targeted lipidomics and high-resolution XL-MS/interactomics. Work will be performed in muscle and adipocyte models to connect lipid flux and binding interfaces with mitochondrial stress and impaired insulin sensitivity.

The position is a full-time, fixed-term appointment for 11 months and is based in Umeå. The work will be conducted in close collaboration with mass spectrometry and chemical biology environments at Umeå University, the Swedish Metabolomics Centre and SciLifeLab-related infrastructure.

Work responsibilities

You will independently lead the experimental and analytical method development for the project's click-chemistry-based lipid interactomics. Responsibilities include planning and optimising UV photoactivation, covalent capture of transient lipid-protein contacts, alkyne-azide ligation, magnetic-bead affinity enrichment, and sample preparation for high-resolution LC-MS/MS and XL-MS. You will establish reproducible workflows, appropriate negative controls and quantitative strategies that distinguish specific interactions from background signals.

You will perform experiments in established muscle and adipocyte models and integrate interactomics with targeted lipidomics and pulse-chase flux measurements. You will be responsible for quality control, data analysis and structural interpretation of protein-lipid adducts and candidate binding interfaces, and for prioritising interaction nodes for functional validation. The role also includes scientific documentation, protocol development, FAIR data management, manuscript preparation, presentation of results and knowledge transfer within the research group and to collaborators. Some shared administrative duties may be included.

Required qualifications

We are looking for a candidate who has:

• a doctoral degree in proteomics, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, chemical biology, structural biology, clinical pharmacology or a closely related field;
• documented hands-on experience of mass-spectrometry method development and data analysis covering both protein/peptide analysis and quantitative LC-MS/MS of small molecules in biological or clinical samples;
• documented experience of crosslinking mass spectrometry (XL-MS), structural proteomics or a directly comparable methodology;
• the ability to independently plan, troubleshoot, quality-assure and document complex experimental workflows;
• excellent oral and written scientific communication skills in English.

Desirable qualifications

Experience in one or more of the following areas will be considered particularly valuable:

• photoaffinity labelling, click chemistry, UV crosslinking or affinity enrichment of protein adducts;
• lipidomics or sphingolipidomics, including targeted triple-quadrupole and/or high-resolution Orbitrap/Q-Exactive analysis;
• development and validation of robust LC-MS/MS methods for clinical samples or pharmacokinetic studies;
• molecular dynamics simulations, structure-informed data analysis or identification of protein-binding interfaces;
• cell culture and experimental models of skeletal muscle, adipocytes, insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes;
• integration of proteomics, lipidomics and interactomics data using R, Python or equivalent tools;
• supervision, laboratory training, international collaboration and reproducible open-science practices.

Personal attributes and language

The project requires a structured and rigorous approach, scientific ownership and the ability to drive method development from optimisation to biological interpretation. You should be solution-oriented and enjoy interdisciplinary collaboration across chemical biology, proteomics, lipidomics and metabolic physiology. Particular emphasis will be placed on personal suitability and a documented ability to contribute to an inclusive research environment. The main working language of the project is English.

Application

Your application should include a CV, a cover letter clearly explaining how your experience meets the qualification criteria, a doctoral degree certificate and a publication list. The application must be received no later than 2026-10-01. We look forward to receiving your application.

Umeå University strives to offer an equal environment where open dialogue between people with different backgrounds and perspectives lay the foundation for learning, creativity and development. We welcome people with different backgrounds and experiences to apply for the current employment. We kindly decline offers of recruitment and advertising help.

Anställningsform: särskild visstidsanställning | Anställningens omfattning: heltid | Antal lediga befattningar: 1 | Sysselsättningsgrad: 100% | Ort: Umeå | Län: Västerbottens län | Land: Sweden | Referensnummer: AN 2026/1056 | Kontakt: Elin Chorell , Elin Chorell , | Facklig företrädare: SACO -S , SACO -S , SEKO , SEKO , OFR /ST 090-7865431, OFR /ST 090-7865431, | Publicerat: 2026-09-09 | Sista ansökningsdag: 2026-10-01