Postdoctoral scholarship (2 years) in structural and molecular virology
Medicinska fakulteten, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics
Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 37,000 students and about 4,700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.
The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is key. We also take pride in delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. In fact, the future is made here.
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The Faculty of Medicine, which consists of 12 departments, is responsible for biomedical research and courses in the field of nursing and health care and has an extensive research and graduate education in more than 80 subjects.
Postdoctoral fellowship in structural and molecular virology
The Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics conducts research and teaching at the Faculty of Medicine. In addition to department-wide grants for research and education, the department's research groups have many national and international research projects with external funding. We are an international workplace with employees from many different countries.
The Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Umeå University, Sweden, invites applicants for a two-year Postdoctoral fellowship in structural and molecular virology. The fellowship is expected to start in 1th April 2026 or according to agreement. Application deadline is 2025-02-08.
Description of the project
The postdoctoral fellow will study replication organelles of positive-strand RNA viruses. The project will combine cellular and molecular methods with structural studies using cryo-electron tomography. We offer a unique setup for this project in terms of a collaborative environment between six groups (located in Umeå, Stockholm and Oslo) studying arthropod-borne RNA viruses from biophysics to organism level. The exact focus of the project can be tailored to the interests of the postdoc. We can imagine recruiting either a postdoc with thorough training in biochemistry structural biology who is eager to learn virology, or a postdoc with a strong background in molecular, mechanistic virology who is eager to learn cryo-electron tomography of complex viral samples. We have extensive in-house resources for, and offer training in, molecular virology. Likewise, the postdoc will have ample access to our in-house, BSL2-approved cryo-EM facility including e.g. an Aquilos 2 FIB-SEM and Titan Krios cryo-TEM. The fellowship is for two years and is placed at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Sweden.
More information about the lab:
http://www.carlsonlab.se/
Eligibility and qualifications
A person who has been awarded a doctorate or a foreign qualification deemed to be the equivalent of a doctorate within biochemistry, structural biology, biophysics, molecular virology, or related discipline, is eligible for appointment as postdoctoral researcher. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time at which the appointment decision is made. We seek highly motivated candidates with documented experience in studies of structural biology, molecular virology, etc. Experience in cryo-EM and virology is advantageous. You should have a strong relevant research output, as evidenced by first authorship publications or manuscripts in preparation. Candidates must be fluent in spoken and written English. Since the project will be of collaborative nature, candidates are expected to function in a team and therefore have a good ability to co-operate. Excellent communication skills are required for interacting effectively with colleagues and peers, including colleagues from complementary research fields. Ability to work independently is a requirement.
Application
The application must include:
- A cover letter explaining why you are interested in the fellowship, how you can contribute to the project and in which direction you may want to develop it (no more than 2 A4 pages).
- A curriculum vitae that documents academic education and past and previous employments.
- A list with your publications.
- A copy of the PhD certificate (or letter from supervisor when you are expected to receive it) and other relevant degree certificates.
- Names and contact details with e-mail addresses of two or three academic references.
The application must be written in Swedish or English. The application must be made via our e-recruitment system Varbi and must be received latest 2025-02-08.
For further information, please see the lab website at http://www.carlsonlab.se/or contact Lars-Anders Carlson at lars-anders.carlson@umu.se
We welcome your application!
| First day of employment | Enligt överenskommelse |
|---|---|
| Salary | Stipendium |
| Full-time equivalent | 100 |
| City | Umeå |
| County | Västerbottens län |
| Country | Sweden |
| Reference number | FS2.1.6.2325-25 |
| Published | 08.Jan.2026 |
| Last application date | 08.Feb.2026 |