Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, fellowship opportunity for POSTDOC on Neuromuscular Disorders

Call : H2020, Excellence in Science, MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE INDIVIDUAL FELLOWSHIPS (IF), Standard European Fellowships (EF-ST) 

Call identifier: H2020-MSCA-IF-2017,

There is an opportunity for an outstanding candidate to apply for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Individual Fellowship (IF) under the current call, to work at Fundació Sant Joan de Déu/Institute of Paediatric Research Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (IRP-HSJD), under the supervision of Dr. Cecilia Jimenez-Mallebrera on a highly multidisciplinary project on the field of neuromuscular disorders. The group on Translational Research on Neuromuscular Disorders led by Dr. Jimenez-Mallebrera is focused on two main areas: a) Muscular dystrophies, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and congenital muscular dystrophies (CMD), with a special focus on the role of the extracellular matrix and collagen VI, and b) Mitochondrial diseases including mithocondrial DNA depletion syndromes affecting muscle.

Description

We are a multidisciplinary group working in the diagnosis, management and research of paediatric neuromuscular diseases. We are an accredited national and European reference centre (CSUR and Neuromuscular European Reference Network) for this group of inherited rare diseases. We collaborate closely with several groups in Europe and in USA.

The Institute of Paediatric Research Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (IRP-HSJD) is formed by the Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), the Institute of Neurosciences (IR3C) University of Barcelona (UB), and the Biomedical Engineering Research Centre (CREB) of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC).   The Institute is based at the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu which is one of the leading Hospitals in Europe for childhood and adolescence. As the pediatric center of the University of Barcelona, the HSJD is associated with the Clinic Hospital being the hospital alliance most well-known in Spain and one of the international reference centers for highly specialized hospital care, teaching and research.

We seek for highly talented experienced researcher to develop an ambitious project program focused on Congenital Muscular Dystrophies.

Our group is at the forefront of research into muscular dystrophies with a particular interest in those associated with the extracellular matrix. We described for the first time the transcriptome of muscle and cells from patients with collagen VI deficiency and we are investigating the role of the matrisome and secretome in order to integrate multiple-level data using a systems biomedicine approach. This will enable us to further understand the pathophysiological mechanism underlying these conditions and to identify biomarkers such as miRNAs as well as targets for therapies. Particularly, we are working on the development of advanced therapies including CRISPR based gene editing.

The Candidate

We are looking for highly motivated candidates holding a Ph.D. degree in Life, Biomedical Sciences, Medicine and related disciplines, with a relevant track record of first-author published or in press scientific articles in peer reviewed international journals. Candidates with a focus in translational research into rare diseases and a strong expertise and interest in one or several of the following areas/skills are desired: Molecular biology (gene editing, shRNA and siRNA, DNA analysis and design, cell delivery of RNA and DNA, AAV design), Cell biology (primary mioblast and fibroblast culture, flow cytometry and cell sorting, cell based assays), Omics and Systems Biology (proteomics, analysis of protein glycosylation and other post-translational modifications, bioinformatics, systems biology).

Successful applicants are expected to work in an interdisciplinary team, managing multiple tasks, having good organizational skills, and willingness to work outside their core expertise. Good knowledge of both spoken and written English is required.

Eligibility

The researcher may be of any nationality. No age restrictions apply.

The researcher must move or have moved (transnational mobility) from any country to Spain. - The researcher must comply with the mobility rule:  The researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the call deadline (14/09/2017). Short stays (such as holidays), compulsory national service (such as mandatory military service), and time spent on procedures for obtaining refugee status are not counted.

Research Fields

Rare Diseases

Neuromuscular Diseases

Advanced Therapies

Proteomics

Systems Biology

Career Stage

Experienced researcher (holds a doctoral degree or has at least four years of full-time equivalent research experience).

Benefits

The award of the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Individual Fellowships (IF) provides an outstanding career move for researchers seeking an independent research position as their target. Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Paediatric Research Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (IRP-HSJD), provide excellent facilities and opportunities for professional development.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are strongly advised to submit a covering letter and CV to Dr. Cecilia Jimenez-Mallebrera cjimenezm@fsjd.org no later than the 15^th June 2017. The selected candidate will be invited to prepare a proposal, to be presented to the MSCA-IF-2017 call (deadline 14/09/2017). Scientific and administrative support will be provided.

Other Information

“The MSCA- IF proposal should be submitted no later than the 14/09/2017.  In case of funding, the project shall start during the second trimester of 2018.

More information about the Group and Host Organisation can be obtained from the FSJD website http://www.fsjd.org/research-groups_117198/4913.

More information about the call can be obtained at http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/topics/msca-if-2017.html

 

-Nr of positions available : 1