Postdoctoral Researcher to Patrik Ernfors’group

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Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The position is based in the Unit of Molecular Neurobiology at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (MBB) , Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, within Professor Patrik Ernfors’ research group. The Ernfors lab investigates the neuronal organisation of ascending and descending pain pathways and the molecular alterations underlying sensitisation in chronic pain. Using mouse genetics and quantitative behavioural assays, we relate molecularly defined cell types and chromatin topology to pain perception and pain states, with the overarching goal of enabling novel analgesic strategies. Alongside in-vivo studies, we employ a range of complementary in-vitro models to validate and extend our findings. The group has identified key signalling pathways with pivotal roles in the development of acute and chronic pain.

Your mission

The successful candidate will lead projects that dissect the descending control of pain, with a focus on the spatial and temporal dynamics of brainstem circuits and their cortical/thalamo-hippocampal inputs that modulate pain thresholds. Work will involve retrograde circuit tracing, stereotaxic viral workflows, and in vivo readouts (e.g., fiber-based optical measurements) combined with quantitative behavioral threshold assays. In parallel, the candidate will isolate neurons for single-cell RNA-seq and ATAC-seq, perform tissue processing and library preparation, and implement computational QC, clustering, and integrative analyses to resolve cell-type-specific transcriptional and chromatin states underlying pain modulation. The role is embedded in a multidisciplinary environment spanning computational biology, mouse genetics, behavior, and molecular neuroscience.

Your profile

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctoral researcher, a PhD or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a Swedish PhD is required. This eligibility requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time of the employment decision. Completion of your doctoral degree within the last three years is considered an advantage. If there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier.

Education (minimum)

• PhD in Neuroscience, Physiology, Biomedical Engineering, or related field with a thesis relevant to systems/circuit neuroscience, pain, or neurogenomics.

  Required experience (must-have)

• In vivo rodent neuroscience: hands-on experience with stereotaxic surgeries and viral vector workflows (e.g., AAV; retrograde tracers) targeting defined brain regions/circuits. (Matches the project’s retrograde tracing + stereotaxic viral work.)
• Quantitative behavioural pain assays: practical experience with mechanical/thermal threshold testing (e.g., von Frey, Hargreaves) and rigorous data recording/analysis.
• Good laboratory practice & documentation: ability to maintain SOPs, metadata and version-controlled analysis (e.g., Git, ELN).
• Team science: demonstrated ability to collaborate across computational biology, mouse genetics, behaviour and molecular neuroscience, consistent with the multidisciplinary environment 

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. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical 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. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several benefits through our collective agreement.

Location: Solna

Application

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

• PhD certificate
• A complete resumé, 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 through the Varbi recruitment system.

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

Type of employment
Temporary position

Contract type
Full time

First day of employment
According to agreement

Salary
Monthly salary

Number of positions
1

Full-time equivalent
100 %

City
Solna

County
Stockholms län

Country
Sweden

Reference number
STÖD 2-1036/2026

Contact

• Professor Patrik Ernfors, patrik.ernforski.se
• Roland Baumgartner, roland.baumgartnerki.se

Union representative

• Helin Norberg, helin.norbergki.se

Published
10.Mar.2026

Last application date
24.Mar.2026

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