The Postdoctoral Studies in Regulatory Genomics in Neuroscience (Scholarship) at the Karolinska Institutet offers a research position within the Llorens laboratory, part of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology. This programme supports a postdoctoral fellow in applying and developing advanced computational methods to study neural circuit repair and regeneration using cutting-edge single-cell and spatial genomics.

Overview

The Llorens laboratory, located at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, provides a vibrant and international research environment. The lab is situated in Biomedicum, one of Europe’s largest laboratories, and aims to uncover the principles of gene expression regulation during development to repurpose them for regeneration in the mammalian central nervous system. The research employs a multidisciplinary approach involving glial biology, genomics, molecular engineering, and animal models of disease.

Research Areas and Activities

The current projects focus on using computational modelling of multiomic single-cell and spatial genomics datasets. The goal is to uncover principles of gene expression regulation during central nervous system (CNS) injury and repurpose them for regeneration using synthetic genomics. The successful candidate will integrate large-scale transcriptomic and epigenomic datasets across species with state-of-the-art deep learning models to link sequence to function, supporting the design of regenerative therapies. The postdoctoral fellow will interact with experimentalists to combine data-driven analysis with subsequent in vivo perturbations.

Eligibility

Candidate Profile: The programme is seeking a highly motivated, self-driven computational biologist with a strong track record and relevant experience from a PhD or previous postdoctoral work. A strong publication record and a recently completed PhD will be considered advantageous.

• Applicants must hold a PhD degree in Bioinformatics, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Bio-engineering, or an equivalent discipline.
• Experience with high performance computing is required.
• Experience with machine learning (e.g., TensorFlow/Keras/PyTorch) is considered an advantage.
• Experience with single-cell or spatial genomics is considered an advantage.
• Expertise in gene regulation or comparative regulatory genomics is considered an advantage.
• Good communication skills in spoken and written English are required.

Entry Requirements: Postdoctoral scholarships are 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 for all or part of their postdoctoral education at KI. Persons who are resident in Sweden or have carried out all or part of their academic education at KI or another Swedish institution cannot be considered for these scholarships. The scholarship for postdoctoral qualification 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, the applicant must have obtained a doctorate or a foreign degree deemed equivalent. Applicants who have not completed a doctorate by the end of the application period may apply, provided all requirements for a completed degree are met before the intended start date.

Funding and Benefits

The scholarship amount is tax-free and is set for twelve months at a time, paid out on a six-month basis. The position provides access to state-of-the-art compute and GPU infrastructure, large genomics datasets, and experimental platforms. The location is Stockholm, Sweden.

Application Process

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

• A complete curriculum vitae, including date of thesis defence, title of thesis, previous academic positions, academic title, current position, academic distinctions, and committee work
• A motivation letter
• A complete list of publications
• Names of three references
• A summary of current work (no more than one page)

The application is to be submitted on the Varbi recruitment system.

Deadline and Contact Information

Last application date: 16 July 2026

Published: 20 May 2026

Reference number: STÖD 2-2155/2026

Contact: Enric Llorens, Assistant Professor, enric.llorens@ki.se

First day of employment: Upon agreement