Postdoctoral fellow at the Division of Molecular Skeletal Biology (PA2025/2217)

Workplace description
Project description

A position is available in the research group for Cell, Tissue, and Organ Engineering (www.bourginelab.com ), led by Dr. Paul Bourgine. The group specializes in the production of ossicles/bone tissue that recapitulate the structure and function of skeletal bone and bone marrow.
In the long term, the group aims to compile human-specific knowledge on how tissues are established and regenerated in order to develop innovative therapeutic approaches.
The group is part of the Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine and the Lund Stem Cell Center.

The project will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Charlotta Böiers, whose research group focuses on understanding the origins of childhood leukemia and the molecular changes caused by the first mutation (“first hit”). Her team uses human pluripotent stem cells to model the early stages of the disease.
As a postdoctoral researcher in the lab, you will be a key member of an interactive research team with access to cutting-edge technologies.

Our research group values a good working environment with respect and care in our relationships. 

What we offer
Lund University is a government agency, which means you will receive special benefits, generous annual leave, and a favorable occupational pension. Read more on the university’s website about working at Lund University: Work with us.

Duties and responsibilities
At Lund University, a postdoctoral appointment is intended to provide opportunities for scientific and educational merit.

As a postdoctoral researcher in this group, you will use human mesenchymal cells to generate and characterize human ossicles. The projects aim to understand mechanisms occurring in human bone and hematopoiesis in vivo.
Your tasks will include designing and carrying out projects to generate and analyze human ossicles, which will be used to study iPS-derived hematopoietic stem cells (iPS-HSCs).
You are expected to gain new knowledge about the hOss platform and its capacity to support iPS-HSC development, as well as to validate hOss as a model for B-cell malignancies.

Postdoctoral duties include:

• Work with laboratory animals
• Cell culture work
• Work with mesenchymal cells
• Tissue dissection
• Cultivation of various cell types
• FACS and cell sorting
• Molecular techniques such as genotyping, RNA sequencing, ATAC-seq — depending on project requirements
• Data analysis

Additional responsibilities include maintaining a lab notebook and similar administrative tasks, as well as actively participating in seminars and other relevant meetings.

Some work during non-standard hours may occur.

Eligibility requirements
To be eligible for a postdoctoral position, you must have a PhD or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a PhD. This requirement must be fulfilled at the time of the employment decision, and proof must be submitted by that date. Priority will be given to applicants who obtained their degree no more than three (3) years ago. Exceptions can be made in cases such as parental leave, illness, clinical duties, union commitments, or similar.

Assessment criteria
At Lund University, postdoctoral positions are intended to provide opportunities for academic qualification. The position primarily allows for research merit, but also includes limited higher education teaching. Teaching may be included in the role. The main assessment criterion is scientific expertise in the subject area.

Other qualifications
The position requires:

• A degree in a relevant field (240 ECTS credits or more) or an equivalent foreign qualification
• Excellent spoken and written English
• Experience in handling and analyzing MSC/HSC cells, and hOss histology
• Experience with human leukemia
• Knowledge of cellular biology techniques, 2D/3D cell culture, and flow cytometry of human blood populations
• Ability to work with laboratory animals
• Experience in generating human ossicles
• Strong collaboration and communication skills
• Critical thinking
• Ability to mentor junior students
• Attention to detail

Merits include:

• Hands-on experience in 2D/3D cell culture
• Practical experience with RNA sequencing
• Documented experience in generating human ossicles
• Experience in handling and analyzing MSC/HSC cells and hOss histology
• Experience with intravital live imaging, in vivo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
• Experience with preclinical research projects

Terms of employment
This is a fixed-term, full-time position for two years, starting on 2025-12-01 or as agreed.
Employment at Lund University takes place in Sweden, and you are therefore expected to carry out your work on site in Lund.

The appointment is limited to a minimum of two years and a maximum of three years, in accordance with the collective agreement on fixed-term employment as a postdoc (Arbetsgivarverket). A postdoctoral position is intended as an initial step in a research career and an opportunity to deepen and broaden research expertise.

Application instructions
Your application should include:

• A cover letter describing your interest in the project, how you meet the required qualifications (including previous independent projects and technical skills), your research interests, and your future career plans
• A CV including names and contact details of two former supervisors
• A complete publication list (can be included in your CV)
• A copy of your diploma (PhD or equivalent)

We warmly welcome your application!