Postdoc in cellular biology at the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

We are looking for a highly motivated and dynamic researcher for a 8-month post-doctoral position in cellular biology to start in the Galvagnion group "Protein-membrane interactions in health and disease" in May 30, 2025 or shortly after. Preference will be given to candidates with a strong expertise in fibroblasts and stem cell culture maintenance and differentiation as well as biochemistry. The purpose of the postdoc is to analyze patients' bio-samples to reveal a molecular signature that, together with clinical data, will enable to stratify high risk iRBD individuals for conversion into different types of alpha-synucleinopathies. This project is part of the interdisciplinary consortium DEEPEN-iRBD including the Luxembourg Parkinson's study.

Information on the department can be found at: https://drug.ku.dk

Our research

Our research aims at understanding the role of dysfunctions in lipid homeostasis in the emergence of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases. Our approach consists in identifying, using biological models, lipid changes associated with these diseases and/or their risk factors and in using biophysical methods to provide at the molecular level the mechanism by which these lipid changes can influence functional protein-membrane interactions and protein aggregation. The different biological models that we consider vary in their complexity and include patient derived cells and brain materials. Our interdisciplinary research involves an international collaborative network including neuroscientists, stem cell biologists, biochemists, protein biophysicists and lipid chemists.

The main methods/techniques that we routinely use in the laboratory include molecular biology, recombinant protein production/purification; characterisation of protein, protein-membrane interactions and self/co-assembly using circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy, calorimetry, electron microscopy; lipids extraction and characterisation using mass spectrometry; cell culture (established and iPS cell lines), Immunocytochemistry, Western Blot, qPCR; organelle and ex-vivo material isolation.

More information on our research can be found here:

- Group website
- Google Scholar

Your job

We are looking for an outstanding and passionate scientist who has a strong background in cell biology and biochemistry.

This post-doctoral project is part of the DEEPEN-iRBD consortium funded by ERA Permed that aims at defining a model for early risk stratification, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of patients with REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD). Evidence shows that individuals affected by iRBD have a high risk of conversion to Parkinson's disease, or dementia with Lewy bodies, or multiple system atrophy. Despite sharing a cellular pathological hallmark, the aggregation of alpha-synuclein, and some clinical features in the early stages, these conditions show different phenotypes in later stages with significant therapeutic and prognostic consequences for the patients. The consortium DEEPEN-iRBD aims to develop a pathogenicity model for prediction of phenoconversion utilizing pre-clinical/clinical research and data analysis, taking into account a personalised medicine approach, based on the individual's unique characteristics and optimisation of strategies for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the individuals rather than the disease. In this project, both existing and newly acquired data will be integrated, including advanced clinical assessments, physiological signal recordings, molecular markers derived from body fluids, skin biopsy, and iPSC- derived brain cells, in order to identify a specific profile at a very early stage, that is a prodromal phase, for each of the above conditions. The contribution of the advertised post-doc position will be to analyze patients' fibroblasts and iPSC-derived brain cells to reveal a molecular signature that, together with clinical data, will enable to stratify high risk iRBD individuals for conversion into different types of alpha-synucleinopathies. This consortium involves collaborations with Graziella Cappelletti (Coordinator, Italy), Rejko Kruger (Luxembourg), Beatrice De Maria (Italy), Mauno Vihinen (Sweden), Ronald Melki (France) and Ana Borovecki (Croatia)

Profile

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic scientist with the following competencies and experience:

Essential experience and skills:

- You have a PhD in cellular biology or biochemistry
- You are highly experienced in cell biology, biochemistry (Western Blot, enzyme activity assays) and lipid analysis
- You have an active interest in neurodegenerative disease, protein aggregation and lipid metabolism
- You have proficient communication skills and ability to work in teams
- You have excellent English skills written and spoken

Desirable experience and skills:

- Experience in stem cell biology
- Knowledge in neuroscience

Place of employment

The place of employment is at the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and a high-end proteomics facility via the collaboration with Erwin Schoof at the Technical University of Denmark.

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The starting date is May 30 2025.

Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant organisation. Currently, the monthly salary starts at 38,700 DKK/approx. 5,100 EUR (April 2025 level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 18,07 % to your pension fund.

Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions, if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Questions
For further information please contact Céline Galvagnion-Büll; celine.galvagnion@sund.ku.dk; www.sund.ku.dk

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure
Your online application must be submitted in English by clicking 'Apply now' below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page).
2. CV incl. education, work/research experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.
3. A certified/signed copy of a) PhD certificate and b) Master of Science certificate. If the PhD is not completed, a written statement from the supervisor will do.
4. List of publications.

Deadline for applications: 16 April 2025, 23.59pm CET

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.

Please note in your application that you found the job at Jobindex

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