Postdoctoral Researcher in Human Stem Cell Biology and Adipose Tissue Development

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Rydén and Mejhert laboratory is a multidisciplinary research group of 15-20 members, including postdoctoral fellows, PhD and master’s students, and technical staff. We investigate how alterations in human white adipocyte function contribute to cardiometabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis. Our work combines experimental research in a well-equipped preclinical laboratory at Biomedicum with clinical studies at a dedicated research unit at Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge.

Your mission

We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to uncover how distinct human adipose stem and progenitor cell (ASPCs) populations determine cell fate and tissue organization. Combining human cell models with transplantation, lineage tracing, and single-cell and spatial approaches, you will investigate fundamental mechanisms of human adipose tissue development in a research environment closely connected to metabolic disease.

Our goal is to determine how different ASPC identities influence cell fate and tissue development. More specifically, the successful candidate will investigate the lineage relationships between progenitor populations, define their individual and combined contributions to tissue formation, and identify mechanisms that enable transplanted cells to establish adipose tissue in vivo. The work will combine cell culture, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), genetic manipulation and lineage tracing with in vivo transplantation and tissue imaging. Single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomic profiling will connect experimental findings to cellular states and tissue organization, in close collaboration with a dedicated bioinformatician responsible for computational analyses. An integral part of the project will be to validate findings from spatial transcriptomics using immunostaining and microscopy. The successful candidate will take a leading role in experimental design, method development, data generation, and interpretation. This position offers the opportunity to develop an independent research profile within an interdisciplinary environment with strong links to clinical and translational metabolic research.

Your profile

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in experimental cell biology, stem cell biology, developmental biology, or a related field. Hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture and molecular techniques is essential. Specifically, experience with flow cytometry and cell sorting, including the identification and isolation of defined cell populations, is highly valued. Experience with mouse models, particularly cell transplantation or tissue regeneration, is also an important asset. Genetic manipulation of mammalian cells, including CRISPR-based approaches, stable cell labeling, or lineage tracing, is highly desirable. Experience with immunostaining, fluorescence microscopy, and quantitative image analysis is also valuable for validating cell identities and spatial organization. Applicants should bring substantial expertise in several of these areas and a willingness to develop complementary skills.

The candidate should be able to independently design, perform, and troubleshoot experiments, manage a research project, and critically evaluate results. Intellectual curiosity, scientific rigor, and effective collaboration are essential. Previous experience in adipose tissue biology or metabolic research is welcome but not required. Computational analysis expertise is not required; the candidate will work closely with bioinformatics colleagues to interpret single-cell and spatial data. Proficiency in written and spoken English is required for effective communication, manuscript preparation, and collaboration within an international research environment.

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.

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

Rydén and Mejhert laboratory

An employment application must contain the following documents in English or Swedish:

• 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)

Welcome to apply at the latest 2026-11-18.

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.

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