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Kalle Malmberg
5 days ago
PhD Position in Natural Killer Cell Biology and Cellular Immunotherapy Karolinska Institutet in Sweden
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Immunology
Funding
The doctoral student will be employed on a full-time doctoral studentship for a maximum of four years and will receive a contractual monthly salary under Karolinska Institutet's doctoral-student salary scale. The position is full-time at 100%. Employees also have access to a modern gym free of charge and receive reimbursements for medical care.
Deadline
Nov 25, 2026
Country
Sweden
University
Karolinska Institutet
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Keywords
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About this position
Karolinska Institutet is recruiting a doctoral student to the Center for Immuno-Oncology at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology. The project focuses on the natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxic operating system: the interconnected intracellular programs that regulate NK-cell maturation, tumor killing, persistence, and resistance to tumor-associated stress.
The Malmberg research group studies human NK-cell biology and develops next-generation NK-cell-based immunotherapies. The doctoral student will work with primary NK cells and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived NK cells, combining single-cell transcriptomics, epigenetic profiling, computational modeling, genome engineering, high-resolution imaging, and functional tumor models.
The project will compare iNK cells with highly functional naturally occurring NK-cell populations, engineer improved immune-cell states through CRISPR/Cas9 and other targeted genetic perturbations, and evaluate therapeutic potential in functional assays and preclinical models of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Particular emphasis will be placed on maturation, metabolic fitness, persistence, sustained cytotoxicity, and long-term antitumor activity.
The research environment is interdisciplinary, integrating fundamental immunology, cancer biology, stem cell biology, computational biology, and translational cellular immunotherapy. The group collaborates closely with clinical and translational teams at Karolinska University Hospital and international research partners. The doctoral student will contribute to experimental design, data analysis, scientific interpretation, hypothesis development, publications, conferences, and doctoral coursework.
Funding details
The doctoral student will be employed on a full-time doctoral studentship for a maximum of four years and will receive a contractual monthly salary under Karolinska Institutet's doctoral-student salary scale. The position is full-time at 100%. Employees also have access to a modern gym free of charge and receive reimbursements for medical care.
What's required
Applicants must meet the general eligibility requirements for doctoral education: a second-cycle/advanced/master qualification, or at least 240 credits including 60 credits at advanced/master level, or substantially equivalent knowledge. Applicants must also demonstrate English proficiency equivalent to Swedish upper-secondary English B/English 6. In addition, applicants should hold a master's degree in immunology, molecular biology, biomedicine, biotechnology, bioinformatics, computational biology, or a related field; have documented knowledge of molecular and cellular biology, immunology, or computational biology; have experience in experimental molecular/cellular biology or computational analysis of biological datasets; understand quantitative data analysis and scientific methodology; communicate excellently in spoken and written English; and demonstrate analytical, problem-solving, scientific, independent-working, and collaborative skills. Meritorious experience includes single-cell transcriptomics, multiomics, Seurat, Scanpy, scVI/MultiVI, functional genomics, CRISPR/Cas9, Perturb-seq, Python or R, machine learning, gene-regulatory-network inference, trajectory analysis, cloning, lentiviral delivery, primary immune cells, stem-cell or iPSC culture, flow cytometry, cell sorting, advanced microscopy, and functional cell-based assays.
How to apply
Submit a personal letter, CV, degree projects and previous publications if available, documentation of relevant skills, and documents certifying general and specific eligibility through the Varbi recruitment system. Use the “Login and apply” button on the vacancy page; applications are preferably written in English, though Swedish applications are accepted.
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Professors
Professor
Sweden
Research Interests
Immunology
Functional Genomics
Single-cell Analysis
Medical Science
Biology
Make your next move.
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