Postdoctoral studies in tumor immunology and immunotherapy (scholarship)

Postdoctoral studies in tumor immunology and immunotherapy (scholarship)
Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

We are seeking one or two skilled experimental immunologists to join the Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Group led by Senior Lecturer Dhifaf Sarhan at Karolinska Institutet. You will connect findings from human tumors with mechanistic studies in experimental models to investigate immune regulation and develop approaches to immunotherapy. The postdoctoral training offers opportunities to lead a project, develop scientific independence and collaborate with researchers and clinicians across disciplines.
Division
The group is part of the Division of Pathology at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet.

Our research investigates how interactions between innate and adaptive immune cells, together with sex differences, shape the organization and function of the tumor microenvironment. We examine why immune cells control tumors in some settings but become excluded or suppressed in others, and how these processes can be redirected for therapy. Our research spans immune cell crosstalk, sex-dependent immune regulation and immune memory. We combine studies of patient-derived material with experimental tumor models, functional immune assays, single-cell analyses and spatial profiling to connect observations in human tumors with their underlying mechanisms.

The group works closely with clinicians and researchers at Karolinska University Hospital and with national and international collaborators. These collaborations provide access to patient material, clinical expertise and complementary experimental and analytical approaches. Core facilities support advanced flow cytometry, imaging, single-cell and spatial profiling.
Duties
You will develop and lead a mechanistic project investigating how immune cells interact with tumor and stromal cells to regulate cancer progression and antitumor immunity. The project will build on your expertise and the group's ongoing research, with particular opportunities to investigate immune exclusion, innate-adaptive immune interactions and sex differences in tumor immunity. A central part of your work will be to translate findings from patient material, single-cell analyses and spatial studies into experimentally testable hypotheses. You will investigate candidate mechanisms through functional assays and genetic or pharmacological perturbation in mouse tumor models and human culture systems. Outcomes may include changes in tumor growth, immune infiltration, immune cell function and treatment response.

You will take responsibility for experimental design, implementation, data interpretation and manuscript preparation. You will work closely with colleagues in experimental immunology, computational biology and clinical pathology, contribute to student supervision and present your findings at scientific meetings. The position provides scope to develop an independent research direction within the group's program.
Entry requirements
Postdoctoral scholarships may be established for foreign researchers who pursue their merit in Sweden. A foreign researcher is a person living in another country who comes to Sweden with the intention of only staying in Sweden for all or part of their postdoctoral education at KI. Persons who are resident in Sweden and/or have carried out all or part of their academic education at KI or some other educational institution in Sweden cannot be considered for scholarships. The purpose of scholarships for postdoctoral qualification is to promote internationalization and contribute to research qualification after a doctorate or equivalent.

A scholarship for carrying out postdoctoral research can be granted for a maximum of two years within a four-year period following the receipt of a doctoral degree or equivalent.

To be eligible for a postdoctoral scholarship, the person must have obtained a doctorate, or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctorate. Applicants who have not completed a doctorate at the end of the application period may also apply, provided that all requirements for a completed degree are met before the (intended) start date of the post-doctoral education.
Your profile
We are looking for an experimental immunologist with a strong understanding of immune regulation and documented ability to investigate biological mechanisms. Your expertise should be supported by peer-reviewed original research publications demonstrating a substantial experimental and intellectual contribution. You should be confident working independently with primary immune cells, multiparameter flow cytometry and functional immunological assays. Experience in human tumor immunology, myeloid cell biology, T-cell or NK-cell function, or innate-adaptive immune interactions is particularly relevant. Experience independently establishing and conducting studies in mouse tumor models is a merit.

We value scientific curiosity, sound experimental judgment and the ability to distinguish descriptive observations from functional evidence. You should be able to develop hypotheses, select appropriate controls, critically interpret results and adapt experiments as findings emerge. This role requires both independent work and close collaboration, including sharing expertise and contributing to the development of students and colleagues. We are seeking an early-career researcher with demonstrated ability to conduct independent research and the potential to establish their own research program.

Requirements

• A PhD in immunology or a closely related field.
• Strong experimental expertise in immunology, demonstrated through relevant peer-reviewed original research publications.
• Substantial hands-on experience with primary immune cell isolation and culture, multiparameter flow cytometry and functional immune assays.
• Demonstrated ability to independently design, conduct, analyze and interpret experiments using appropriate controls and statistical methods.
• Ability to communicate scientific findings clearly, orally and in writing.
• Good collaboration skills and fluency in written and spoken English.

Merits

• Experience independently establishing and conducting studies in mouse tumor models, including tumor establishment, treatment administration, tissue collection and assessment of antitumor immune responses.
• Experience with orthotopic tumor models, particularly models of gastrointestinal cancers.
• Experience using genetic or pharmacological perturbations to establish the functional roles of candidate pathways.
• Experience with patient-derived tumor material, tumor-immune co-cultures, organoids or tumoroids.
• Experience with multiplex imaging, microscopy, single-cell or spatial profiling.
• Experience analyzing high-dimensional biological data, preferably using R or Python.
• Experience supervising students or contributing to interdisciplinary research projects.

Candidates are not expected to have experience in all these areas. Please describe how your previous research prepares you for this position and which scientific questions and practical skills you would like to develop in the group.
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. Here, we conduct innovative medical research and provide the largest range of biomedical 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. Students and employees have free access to our modern gym facilities with trained staff on site.

Location:

The position is based in the Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Group at ANA Futura, Karolinska Institutet, Flemingsberg Campus, within the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology.
Type of scholarship
The amount is tax free and it is set for twelve months at a time, paid out on a six months basis. In exceptional cases, shorter periods may be acceptable.

The postdoctoral training is funded by a scholarship for one year, with the possibility of extension subject to available funding and KI's scholarship rules. The scholarship is awarded for twelve months at a time. This is a scholarship-funded affiliation and does not constitute employment. Start date: by agreement.
Application process
The application should contain the following documents in English or Swedish:

• Proof of doctoral degree.
• A complete CV, including the date of thesis defense, thesis title, previous and current academic positions, academic distinctions and supervision experience.
• A complete publication list, highlighting up to three original research articles relevant to the position. For each highlighted article, briefly describe your experimental and intellectual contribution.
• A summary of your current research and motivation for joining the group, explaining how your expertise relates to our research program and what you would like to develop during the postdoctoral period (maximum one page).

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system by November 20th, 2026.

Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all