Postdoc in Computational Cancer Evolution – Sottoriva Lab - (ERC Consolidator Grant)

APPLICATION CLOSING DATE : January 31st , 2024

Human Technopole (HT) is an interdisciplinary life science research institute, created and supported by the Italian government, with the aim of developing innovative strategies to improve human health. HT is composed of five centres: Computational Biology, Structural Biology, Genomics, Neurogenomics, and Health Data Science. The Centres work together to enable interdisciplinary research and to create an open, collaborative environment that will help promote life science research both nationally and internationally.

About the lab:

The Sottoriva Lab in the Computational Biology Research Centre at Human Technopole combines computational and experimental techniques to study cancer genomics and evolution. Our goal is to measure the evolutionary process in human cancers and model systems, predict the future course of the disease and uncover the mechanisms of drug resistance. We use a combination of spatial and longitudinal data from patients and patient-derived model systems, evolutionary theory and machine learning, to measure cancer biology.

Our lab has been recently awarded with an ERC Consolidator Grant to fund a project called “DARC MATTER” (101125077) to study currently unknown dynamics and mechanisms of drug resistance. This project will generate dense longitudinal measurements, at single cell resolution and with multi-omics techniques, of patient-derived organoid models under the evolutionary pressure of cancer drugs in different sequences.

We are now looking for a motivated computational postdoc to work on developing new computational methods for the analysis and interpretation of those longitudinal datasets. The objective is to measure and predict evolutionary forces using a combination of mathematical modelling and machine learning techniques. The objective is to identify evolutionary and molecular vulnerabilities of resistant cancers.

The Sottoriva Lab (www.sottorivalab.org) at HT benefits from the experimental and computational infrastructure, with core bioinformatics units, as well as a team of core wet lab scientists within the Computational Biology Research Centre, exclusively dedicated to generating novel datasets, ranging from single-cell genomics, multi-omics, and spatial profiling. Human Technopole benefits from accessibility to the HT National Facility for Genomics, which provides state-of-the-art and innovative services from high throughput sequencing to multi-omics technologies. The HT Data Centre provides a state-of-the-art High-Performance Computing infrastructure and Data Storage support to meet all the computational needs of HT’s research groups.

The successful candidates will report directly to the Group Leader, Prof Andrea Sottoriva, who is also the Head of the Computational Biology Research Centre.

Key tasks and responsibilities

• Analyse and interpret the data in light of tumour evolution.
• Design new methods and approaches, based on evolutionary theory and/or machine learning, to measure evolution from data.
• Integrate data generated in the lab with existing datasets.
• Think independently, providing scientific insight and drive projects forward and explore new avenues of research.
• Interact with the Research Centre’s bioinformatics and experimental core posts for data generation and analysis.
• Interact with bioinformaticians with different computational expertise within the Research Centre as well as in other HT units.
• Build effective links and collaborations within HT, e.g., with the HT National Facility for Genomics.
• Develop links with other national and international institutions.
• Prepare publications and present results at seminars and conferences.
• Support the project management of the ERC, including the drafting of technical reports.

Job requirements

Essential requirements:

• A PhD degree in a relevant subject, e.g., bioinformatics, computer science, mathematics, physics, engineering or a related field of science, obtained within the closing of this call.
• +3 years of hands-on experience in data science, preferably in life sciences or medicine.
• Fluency in English – HT is an international research institute.

Preferential requirements:

• Proven track record demonstrating the leading of projects independently.
• Experience in the analysis of genomic datasets.

Organizational and social skills:

• Ability to interact effectively with other teams and work synergistically to drive projects forward.
• Proven leadership, communication, team building and problem-solving skills.

Application Instructions

Please apply by sending:

i) a CV

ii) a motivation letter in English

iii) names and contacts of 2 referees

For any inquiry about the call, please feel free to contact Prof Andrea Sottoriva at [email protected] (this email address should not be used to send applications).

Why Human Technopole

HT seeks scientific excellence, we recruit the best scientific talents through international, open calls.

Our working environment is international, friendly and inclusive. Our scientists work together across disciplines on research topics of biomedical relevance, leveraging synergies between their diverse skillsets and methodological approaches.

We believe that highly diverse teams yield the best and most innovative results.

We engage in outward-facing scientific activities aimed at benefiting the national and international research community. Training is also at the heart of our activity, with initiatives and opportunities for our staff, including scientific courses, conferences and workshops.

Main benefits

• Welfare plans.
• Canteen service.
• Work-life balance provisions.
• Italian language training for foreigners.
• Parental leave up to 1 year and other support for new parents.
• Counselling.
• Flexible working hours.
• Possible remote working policy.
• Support for relocation.
• Tax benefits where applicable.

Special consideration will be given to candidates who are part of the protected categories list, according to L. 68/99.

Number of positions offered: 1

Contract offered: CCNL Chimico Farmaceutico, Fixed-term 3 years - employee level.

The position is based in Milan.