Postdoctoral fellow at the Division of Molecular Skeletal Biology

Workplace description
A vacant position is available in the Cell, Tissue and Organ Engineering research group (www.bourginelab.com) led by 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 research group aims to compile human-specific knowledge on how tissues are established and regenerated, with the goal of developing novel and innovative therapeutic approaches.

The research group is part of the Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine and the Lund Stem Cell Center. The Lund Stem Cell Center is a strategic center of excellence in life science, with a strong international position in the field of blood stem cell biology. It offers a stimulating scientific community within a world-renowned blood and stem cell research environment that fosters collaboration, innovative thinking, and career development.

As a postdoctoral fellow in the lab, you will be a critical part of an interactive research team and will have access to state-of-the-art techniques and the infrastructure provided by the Lund Stem Cell Center.

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
The candidate will use human mesenchymal cells to create human in vitro and in vivo models of the bone marrow. The projects consist of establishing relevant bone marrow models and exploit them to understand cellular mechanisms of leukemia. Duties include planning and executing projects to produce and characterize human ossicles, and exploit organ-on-chip technology.

Postdoctoral duties include:

• Work with laboratory animals
• Cell culture work
• Work with human bone marrow mesenchymal cells
• Dissection of tissues
• 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 PhD degree in Medicine or Biology.
• Excellent proficiency in English, both written and spoken.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, as well as critical thinking ability.
• Ability to supervise junior students.
• A good attention to detail.

Merits include:

• Documented knowledge and hands-on experience in:
  • Cell biology, including 2D and 3D cell culture
  • Flow cytometry
  • RNA sequencing
  • Handling and analysis of MSC/HSC cells and hOss histology
  • Work with experimental animals and generation of human ossicles
  • In vivo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
  • In vitro organ-on-chip systems
  • Experience in preclinical projects and human leukemia research
  • Knowledge in hematology
  • A strong publication record with peer-reviewed articles

Terms of employment
This is a fixed-term, full-time position for two years, starting on 2026-03-01 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!