Assistant Professor in Cancer Research focusing on tumor heterogeneity and phenotypic plasticity in neuroblastoma

Karolinska Institutet (KI) · Solna, Sweden

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Your mission

The successful candidate will work on childhood neuroblastoma and paraganglioma in the research group headed by Susanne Schlisio:

The research is conducted in a highly interdisciplinary environment with strong collaborations across clinical departments and with national and international research groups.

We are seeking a motivated and creative Assistant Professor in Experimental Neuroblastoma Biology, with a focus on developing and applying genetically engineered mouse models to investigate tumor initiation, progression, heterogeneity and phenotypic plasticity in neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma is a childhood cancer characterized by substantial clinical and biological heterogeneity. Tumor-cell plasticity and transitions between distinct developmental states may contribute to tumor progression, metastasis and treatment resistance. However, the mechanisms controlling these processes in vivo remain insufficiently understood.

The successful applicant will investigate the genetic and developmental mechanisms underlying neuroblastoma formation and progression through the generation and characterization of conditional and inducible genetically engineered mouse models. Particular emphasis will be placed on determining how defined genetic alterations affect sympathoadrenal development, tumor initiation, cell-state transitions and malignant progression.

The research will combine in vivo tumor models with molecular, histopathological and imaging-based approaches. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics may be used to characterize tumor evolution and cellular heterogeneity and to compare mouse tumors with human neuroblastoma. The models may also be applied to identify and experimentally validate therapeutic vulnerabilities.

We offer a highly interdisciplinary environment , integrating computational biology with cancer and developmental biology. We develop new analytic and experimental approaches based on single nuclei transcriptomics and spatial transcriptomics to explore intra-tumor heterogeneity and plasticity. Furthermore, we generate novel tumor mouse model systems and include human tumors to perform comparative differentiation trajectory analysis, to make predictions and, finally, to perform preliminary validations of envisioned tumor differentiation strategies.

The employment as Assistant Professor is time limited for 4 years with the right to apply for promotion to Senior Lecturer.

Eligibility requirements

Those eligible for employment as an Assistant Professor are individuals who have been awarded a PhD or attained equivalent research competence. Preference should be given to those who were awarded a PhD or attained equivalent research competence no more than seven years prior to the expiry of the application period for the position as assistant professor.

Those who have been awarded a PhD or attained equivalent research competence earlier may however be considered if special grounds exist.

Special grounds refer to:

parental leave,
positions of trust in trade union organizations
mandatory service in the total defense forces
long-term illness

Ground, dates and extent must be clearly specified in the application and verified with relevant documentation.

Appointment to the position of assistant professor requires good scientific skills and good pedagogical skills. See the instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at Karolinska Institutet.

It is a requirement that you have completed three weeks of courses on teaching in higher education, or have gained equivalent competence, as indicated in the recommendations of the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institution. If you lack such education at the time of employment, you must undergo such education during the first two years of employment

Bases of assessment

For employment as Assistant Professor at Karolinska Institutet, the eligibility requirements and assessment criteria stated in the Instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure are applied in relation to established profile of employment.

See the instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at Karolinska Institutet.

It is further meritorious that you have demonstrated

A strong scientific track record as supported by published papers in the subject area, in well recognized peer-reviewed journals is important.
Extensive experience working with mouse models
It is meritorious that you have demonstrated tumour biology, single-cell sequencing, clinical medicine, and tumor pathology competence.

What do we offer?

A creative, international and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet (KI) is one of the world's leading medical universities. Here, 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 good benefits through our collective agreement.

Location: BioClinicum, Solna

Choose to work at KI - Ten reasons why

Application

An application must contain the following documents preferably in English (or Swedish): Resumé, qualifications and description of planned research, presented in accordance with Karolinska Institutet's qualifications portfolio.

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system. At the latest 8th September.

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

Particular assessment for promotion to Senior Lecturer

An Assistant Professor employed in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 4 Section 12a shall be promoted to Senior Lecturer if he or she is eligible for an employment as Senior Lecturer in accordance with the Instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at Karolinska Institutet and is assessed to be suitable for such employment in accordance with the assessment criteria that KI has decided should be applied when being promoted to Senior Lecturer. The assessment criteria stated in the Instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at Karolinska Institutet that was valid at the time of appointment as Assistant Professor will be applied when applying for promotion to Senior Lecturer. Current assessment criteria is found here. Such promotion results in a permanent position as Senior Lecturer.

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