Research Assistant – Recruitment No 15/2024

8 Apr 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences

Department

Computational Genomics Group at IPC PAS, ICTER

Research Field

Biological sciences
Medical sciences

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Country

Poland

Application Deadline

6 May 2024 - 12:00 (Europe/Warsaw)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

40

Offer Starting Date

15 May 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Reference Number

Recruitment no. 15/2024

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

We seek a highly motivated and enthusiastic Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences. The position is part of the project entitled “Spatial Determinants of Immunotherapy Resistance in Cancer”, funded by the NCN (National Science Centre) in cooperation with the SNSF (Swiss National Science Foundation). Our laboratory at IPC PAS/ICTER provides an international and interdisciplinary research environment with close links to genomics, single-cell sequencing, molecular biology, biotechnology, and bioinformatics. The project involves multimodal (transcriptomic and epigenomic) and spatial profiling of tumor infiltrating immune cells using in-house high-throughput single-cell sequencing methods.

Details about the project:

Significant work over the last two decades has increased our understanding of the intricate, and sometimes opposing roles, that the immune system plays in cancer. While robust immune responses are required for sustained protective anti-tumor responses, tumor infiltrating CD8+ T cells which have the potential to control tumor growth, often acquire a dysfunctional state due to chronic antigen exposure in a nutrient depleted, and suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). T cell dysfunction is characterized by a gradual loss of effector function coupled with increased expression of immune checkpoint receptors, including CTLA4, PD-1, Lag3 and Tim-3. As a consequence, immune-checkpoint therapy (ICI), using blocking antibodies against these receptors, has emerged as an important treatment modality for cancer. ICI has demonstrated unprecedented responses in patients with several types of metastatic tumors that were otherwise refractory to available treatment options. However recent studies show that across all indications only ~13% of patients respond to immunotherapy.

To date, the majority of efforts to understand how cancer immunotherapy restores anti-tumor T cell responses have concentrated on assessing the reactivation of dysfunctional T cells. It was largely thought that the efficacy of checkpoint blockade is mediated by the direct ability of blocking antibodies to bind to co-inhibitory molecules and reverse the state of T cell dysfunction. However, this concept has been challenged with seminal work demonstrating that existing intra-tumoral CD8+ T cells have limited capacity for rejuvenation with a relatively inflexible chromatin landscape, suggesting that the protective effect of ICI is unlikely to be due to reprogramming of dysfunctional T cells. Without a basic understanding of how ICI precisely works we cannot begin to understand why then, in the majority of patients, ICI fails. As such there is great interest in understanding ways to target other immune cells.

To address these questions, we have outlined a series of experiments to analyze the cellular and transcriptional changes associated with tumor infiltrating immune cells. This proposal is highly interdisciplinary implementing single-cell 'omics' strategies and systems immunology approaches to further unravel the players and rules governing immune responses during malignancy. In addition, we plan to develop a suite of computational tools that will allow us to better understand the organization of tumor microenvironment in terms of the cellular composition, spatial arrangement of cells and their communication.

About the group: The Computational Genomics Group at IPC PAS led by dr Marcin Tabaka leverages experimental and computational approaches in high-throughput single-cell transcriptome and epigenome profiling to address fundamental questions in biomedical research (https://tabaka-lab.org ).

 

Responsibilities:

• Designing, executing, analyzing, and interpreting experiments including high throughput single-cell multimodal profiling
• Assessing quality controls of Next Generation Sequencing data generated in the project
• Optimization of protocols for multimodal analyses (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq) of single cells
• Prepare and write scientific papers for leading journals

Requirements

Research Field

Biological sciences

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Research Field

Medical sciences

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Ph.D. degree in Biotechnology, Biology, Genomics, Medicine or related quantitative discipline obtained not earlier than 7 years before the engagement in the project (this period might be longer due to family reasons according to NCN rules).
• Solid knowledge and familiarity with techniques in Genomics
• Familiarity with Next Generation Sequencing
• Familiarity with single-cell methods in Genomics

Very good command of spoken and written English is required [A post-doc type post is a full-time post, scheduled by the project’s principal investigator for a person who has been conferred a PhD degree in the year of employment in the project or within 7 years before 1 January of the year of employment in the project.* This period may be extended by a time of long-term (in excess of 90 days) documented sick leaves or rehabilitation leaves granted on account of being unfit to work. In addition, the period may be extended by the number of months of a child care leave granted pursuant to the Labour Code and in the case of women, by 18 months for every child born or adopted, whichever manner of accounting for career breaks is preferable.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Research Field

Biological sciencesMedical sciences

Years of Research Experience

4 - 10

Additional Information
Benefits

• Full-time work contract (Gross/gross salary - total employment cost - of 11666 PLN per month up to limit 140 000 PLN/year; total employment cost is the gross/gross amount including employer's expense. It would be the subject of taxes, social and health insurances and other legal deductions according to Polish law)
• Engagement into an ambitious research program and opportunity to build an academic career.
• Social benefits (including co-financing of MULTISPORT card, co-financing of cultural/ sport/ touristic activities of employees, et.)

Eligibility criteria

Employment will take place in accordance with the Employment policy of the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS (https://ichf.edu.pl/files/csr/ipc-procedures.pdf ) and the provisions of the competition documentation of the National Science Center (NSC) for the Weave Unisono

The Commission will analyze CVs of the candidates. The top candidates will be invited for an online/ on site interview (09.05.2024). Good command of English is required. We reserve the right to contact and reply only to selected candidates

• The incomplete applications will not be considered.

• The results of the competition are made public.

• Candidates who have been issued a negative opinion by the Competition Committee or candidates not selected for employment have the right to appeal against the results of the evaluation. The appeal shall be lodged with the Director of the Institute within 7 days from the date of receipt of the appropriate information. The decision of the Director of the Institute shall be final.

• The position will be awarded to the person who obtains the highest number of points. If the top candidate does not sign the contract, due to the resignation, we reserve the right to choose the second-best candidate.

Selection process

Complete application should include the following items:

• Curriculum vitae
• motivation letter
• recommendation letter
• a scan of the PhD diploma

Send application directly to [email protected] ;

IMPORTANT! email subject: “Recruitment no. 15/2024” (emails without this number will not be considered)

 

The Commission will analyse CVs of the candidates. The top candidates will be invited for an interview (09.05.2024). Good command of English is required. We reserve the right to contact and reply only to selected candidates

The incomplete applications will not be considered.

The results of the competition are made public.

Candidates who have been issued a negative opinion by the Competition Committee or candidates not selected for employment have the right to appeal against the results of the evaluation. The appeal shall be lodged with the Director of the Institute within 7 days from the date of receipt of the appropriate information. The decision of the Director of the Institute shall be final.

If the top candidate does not sign the contract, due to the resignation, we reserve the right to choose the second-best candidate.

The Commission will take into account the following criteria and evaluate applications on a point scale:

• Competence for specific tasks in a research project
• Previous achievements
• References

The position will be awarded to the person who obtains the highest number of points.

The Competition results shall be made known on 10.05.2024.

Scheduled date of starting work within the Project: 15.05.2024.

Additional comments

How to Apply: Send application directly to [email protected] ;

IMPORTANT: email title “Recruitment no. 15/2024” (emails without this number will be not considered!)"

By submitting the application you consent to the processing of your personal data in the recruitment process.

The controller of your personal data is the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences with its registered office in Warsaw, NIP: 5250008755 (the "Institute"). The Institute will process your data for the purpose of carrying out scientific and research activities, providing services and contact with the Institute, on the basis of a contract (in connection with the performance of the contract or in order to take action on your request before the contract is concluded – Article 6, paragraph 1, letter b) of GDPR), the legitimate interest of the Institute (Article 6, paragraph 1, letter f) of the GDPR) and legal provisions (Article 6, paragraph 1, letter c) of the GDPR) - depending on the circumstances.

You have the right to: request access to your data, receive a copy of it; rectify (correct) it; delete it; limit its processing; transfer it; lodge a complaint to the supervisory body; withdraw your consent for processing at any time (withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of the processing carried out prior to its withdrawal) or to lodge an objection to data processing. More information is available on the Institute's website.

https://ichf.edu.pl/theme/ichf/pliki/RODO_klauzula_informacyjna.pdf

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Institute of Physical Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences

Country

Poland

City

Warsaw

Postal Code

01-224

Street

Kasprzaka 44/52

Geofield

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

City

Warsaw

Website

https://ichf.edu.pl/en/job

Street

Warsaw, Kasprzaka 44/52

Postal Code

PL-01-224

E-Mail

[email protected]

Mobile Phone

+48 798 055 335

STATUS: EXPIRED