Postdoctoral Research Scientist

We are seeking a well-trained and enthusiastic Postdoctoral Research Scientist to join a collaborative research project on Friedreich Ataxia (FRDA; OMIM#229300). The project is funded by The Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) and presents an exciting opportunity to work with the Becker Group and the Wade-Martins Laboratory in the recently established Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery.

 

The aim of this project is to employ cerebellar organoids generated from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model the molecular and cellular underpinnings of FRDA and to generate a humanized and disease-relevant model for drug testing and discovery. The Becker lab is one of the pioneers of generating cerebellar models from hiPSCs and a leading group in ataxia research. The Wade-Martins group is renowned for their work on stem-cell modelling of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease and FRDA.

 

This project will focus on the generation and characterisation of cerebellar organoids from isogenic iPSCs. The post-doctoral scientist will perform extensive cellular phenotyping of the generated models including biochemical assays, confocal microscopy, and RNA-sequencing. The project will also evaluate the effect of pharmacological modulators on the identified disease phenotypes.

 

The successful candidate will hold, or be nearing completion, of a PhD/DPhil in a relevant discipline. They will have recent experience in hiPSC/cell culture and maintenance, technical competence and laboratory experience of some of the techniques relevant to the project (including RT-qPCR, immunostaining, biochemical assays and RNA sequencing), and experience in data analysis. Knowledge of cerebella development and ataxia, and expertise in analysis of RNA sequencing data is desirable.

 

Please see the below 'Job Description' for further details on the responsibilities and selection criteria, as well as further information about the university and how to apply.

 

 

 

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