瑞典乌普萨拉大学博士后职位招聘–免疫学、血管生物学、肿瘤免疫学方向

We are looking for a postdoctoral scholar to contribute to the development of the work in the lab led by Ass. Prof. Ulvmar.  The project you will work on aims to explore how aging and cancer inhibit the body’s immune defense with a focus on changes that occur in the human lymph node (LN). It builds upon recent work from the lab, focused on the specialized vasculature of the LNs, which the lab has mapped by single-cell RNAseq (1), and multispectral imaging (1-4), revealing dramatic cancer- (2-3) and aging-induced (4) vascular and stromal changes in the LN. 

How general these changes are in different types of human cancers, if there are additional changes beyond the ones so far discovered, as well as the mechanisms behind and the full consequences of these changes, still needs to be determined, which will be the purpose of your studies.

You need to have a very strong interest in advanced image analysis and pathology. The study design is to use front-line methods for spatial tissue profiling in whole tissue slides. We work with the BioImage Informatics Facility (BIIF) at Uppsala University, and one part of our project is dedicated to designing automatic image analysis tools by deep learning, to efficiently screen LNs for vascular and stromal changes (3). 

In parallel to studies on human tissue, the lab is also designing new mouse models for lymphatic metastasis and is working with advanced conditional models for gene deletion, which can complement human tissue studies. The candidate will have many opportunities and be encouraged to develop their competence through training and courses provided by BIIF, part of the national Swedish infrastructure SciLife lab: https://www.scilifelab.se/units/bioimage-informatics/

Qualifications:

Ph.D. in immunology, vascular biology, tumor immunology, or related research field. You need to have completed your doctoral degree within the last 3 years and latest by the start of the position. Prior research experiences shall be documented as publications in peer-reviewed journals. Fluent English (written and spoken) is required. 

Type of position:

Scholarship for postdoctoral qualification. The purpose of scholarships for postdoctoral qualification is to promote internationalization and contribute to research qualification after completion of a Ph.D. A scholarship for carrying out postdoctoral research can be granted for a maximum of two years. The lab will provide full support and mentoring for candidates who want to apply for their own salary which can also lead to the possibility to extend the time for the position. 

Merits:

The ideal candidate has extensive experience and knowledge in the analysis of pathological changes in human tissue (cancer, inflammation, or other diseases), multispectral imaging, advanced image analysis, and handling of big data. Background in coding like R and/or Python and bioinformatical analysis is an advantage.  

Environment:

The lab work cross-disciplinary and collaborate closely with labs within basic cancer biology, vascular biology, and immunology. Uppsala University is a comprehensive research-intensive university with a strong international standing. Uppsala University has over 45,000 students, and more than 7,000 employees. Uppsala University is part of a Swedish consortium, SciLifeLab.se (www.scilifelab.se), which provides state-of-the-art infrastructure for advanced life science research including platforms for single-cell RNAseq, advanced imaging, and image analysis.  The language used is English.

Applications should be sent by email to: maria.ulvmar@imbim.uu.se

Recent publications from the lab:

1. Xiang M, Grosso RA, Takeda A, Pan J, Bekkhus T, Brulois K, Dermadi D, Nordling S, Vanlandewijck M, Jalkanen S, Ulvmar MH, Butcher EC. A Single-Cell Transcriptional Roadmap of the Mouse and Human Lymph Node Lymphatic Vasculature. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2020 Apr 30;7:52.  doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2020.00052

2. Bekkhus T, Martikainen T, Olofsson A, Franzén Boger M, Vasiliu Bacovia D, Wärnberg F, Ulvmar MH. Remodeling of the Lymph Node High Endothelial Venules Reflects Tumor Invasiveness in Breast Cancer and is Associated with Dysregulation of Perivascular Stromal Cells. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Jan 8;13(2):211. Selected as editor’s choice

3. Bekkhus T, Avenel C, Hanna S, Franzén Boger M, Klemm A, Bacovia DV, Wärnberg F, Wählby C, Ulvmar MH. Automated detection of vascular remodeling in tumor-draining lymph nodes by the deep-learning tool HEV-finder. The Journal of Pathology. 2022 Sep;258(1):4-11.  doi: 10.1002/path.5981 Selected for Cover

4. Bekkhus T, Olofsson A, Sun Y, Magnusson P, Ulvmar MH. Stromal transdifferentiation drives lipomatosis and induces extensive vascular remodeling in the aging human lymph node.  The Journal of Pathology. 2023 Mar;259(3):236-25, doi: 10.1002/path.6030 Selected for Cover