Postdoctoral studies in human uterine NK cell biology (scholarship)
Karolinska Institutet · Flemingsberg · Deadline 2026-11-18
Karolinska Institutet offers a **postdoctoral scholarship in human uterine NK cell biology** within Professor Niklas Björkström's research group at Campus Flemingsberg. Funded as a tax-free scholarship set for twelve months at a time for up to two years, this position investigates uterine natural killer cells in endometrial regeneration and early pregnancy. The researcher will lead an independent project utilizing clinical samples such as endometrium, decidua, menstrual blood, and uterus transplant tissues. Core duties include handling tissue samples, running functional assays and high-dimensional flow cytometry, generating and analyzing single-cell and spatial omics datasets, writing manuscripts, presenting findings internationally, and participating in student supervision. Applicants must hold a **PhD in immunology, reproductive biology, cell biology**, or a related discipline, completed within the past four years or finalized prior to the intended start date. Mandatory qualifications include solid knowledge of NK cell or innate lymphocyte biology, hands-on experience with multicolour flow cytometry and primary human cells or tissues, and **proficiency in spoken and written English**. As an **international qualification scholarship**, candidates must reside outside Sweden and have completed their academic education abroad; Swedish residents and KI graduates are ineligible. Experience with single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, computational analysis in R or Python, and reproductive immunology is advantageous.
Postdoctoral studies in (scholarship)
Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?
We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to join the research group of Professor Niklas Björkström at the Center for Infectious Medicine (CIM), Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet. The group studies human tissue-resident natural killer (NK) cells, and the position focuses on uterine NK cells: how they arise, how they adapt to the cyclically regenerating endometrium, and what they do in early pregnancy. Through close collaborations with clinical units at Karolinska University Hospital, you will work directly with unique human material, including endometrium, decidua, menstrual blood and samples from uterus transplantation, and apply cutting-edge single-cell and spatial technologies to answer fundamental questions in human reproductive immunology.
Division
The Björkström group performs translational immunology research on human lymphocytes in tissues, with a focus on the uterus and the liver. In the uterus, our work has shown that uterine NK cells continuously differentiate in response to endometrial regeneration and pregnancy, that the endometrial immune system varies far more between individuals than the blood immune system, and that immune cells arriving after uterus or stem cell transplantation can acquire uterine characteristics and rebuild the spatial organization of the endometrium. The group is international, has postdocs, PhD students and computational researchers, and works with high-dimensional flow cytometry, single-cell and spatial omics, imaging and functional assays on primary human cells.
CIM is a research center of approximately 150 researchers focusing on immunology and infectious diseases, located in the ANA Futura building at Campus Flemingsberg. The center offers state-of-the-art flow cytometry, single-cell and imaging infrastructure and a collaborative environment with close ties to clinical research.
Duties
You will lead your own project on human uterine NK cell biology. Depending on your profile and interests, the project may address:
- The origin, differentiation and tissue residency of uterine NK cells in the human endometrium and decidua
- How uterine NK cell phenotype and function change across the menstrual cycle and in early pregnancy Interactions between uterine NK cells and stromal, vascular and trophoblast cells in the tissue
- Alterations of the uterine immune milieu in reproductive disorders
You will collect and process human tissue samples, design and perform experiments using high-dimensional flow cytometry, cell sorting and functional assays, and generate and analyse single-cell and spatial omics data. You are expected to write manuscripts, present your work at international meetings, collaborate with clinicians and other research groups, and take part in supervising students in the group
Qualifications
Required:
- A PhD in immunology, reproductive biology, cell biology or a related field
- Solid knowledge of NK cell or innate lymphocyte biology Hands-on experience with multicolour flow cytometry and primary human cell or tissue work
- Ability to drive a project independently while working well in a team
- Excellent communication skills and proficiency in spoken and written English
Meritorious:
- Experience with human reproductive tissues (endometrium, decidua, placenta) or reproductive immunology
- Experience with single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics or spectral flow cytometry
- Computational analysis of high-dimensional data in R or Python
- Experience with tissue dissociation, imaging or in vitro differentiation and co-culture models
- Experience supervising students
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.
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: Flemingsberg
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.
Application process
_An__application__must__contain__the__following__documents__in__English__or__Swedish:_
- A complete curriculum vitae, 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)
The application is to be submitted on the Varbi recruitment system.
Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all
Jobbfakta
Fält – Värde
First day of employment – According to agreement
Salary – Scholarship
Reference number – STÖD 2-4420/2026
Contact – Niklas Björkström, Rekryterande chef, niklas.bjorkstrom@ki.se; Jenna Almqvist, HR-Partner, jenna.almqvist@ki.se
Union representative – Peter Svensson, SACO, peter.svensson@ki.se; Mari Gilljam, OFR, mari.gilljam@ki.se; Robert Lindberg, SEKO, robert.g.lindberg@seko.se
Published – 28.Oct.2026
Last application date – 18.Nov.2026