SmartAge - European Training Network Early-Stage Researcher / PhD position (ESR project 2)

The research group of Prof. Dr. Ina Bergheim, Molecular Nutritional Sciences, Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Vienna, Austria, offers a position for an Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) for the project: "Intestinal barrier function in age-dependent gut-brain interaction: pharmacological interventions with metformin". The position is part of the EU-funded Innovative Training Network (ITN) SmartAge (“Gut-brain-axis: Targets for improvement of cognition in the elderly”) with full-time employment, starting immediately.

Objective of the project: The aim of the project is to elucidate if targeting intestinal microbiota and barrier function through the oral antidiabetic drug metformin protects from aging-associated alterations of intestinal microbiota and barrier function as well as cognitive decline. As part of this project, the successful candidate will focus on delineating molecular mechanisms involved in the loss of intestinal barrier function and cognition during the aging process and to lay the basis for the development of new prevention and therapy approaches, herein.

The ESR will join an existing team with main research focus and extensive knowledge in the thematic field of nutritional sciences and metabolic diseases as well as molecular mechanisms of aging-associated alterations of intestinal barrier function.

Requirements for the applicant: We expect a Master´s degree (or equivalent) in Nutritional Sciences and/or Life Sciences or Medicine. Furthermore, the applicant should be able to perform team-oriented as well as independent work. Desirable methodological skills: excellent background in nutritional sciences, model organisms and cell biology. Hands-on experiences in working with model organisms like rodents and/ or C. elegans, histological analysis, immunohistochemical analyses as well as gene and protein expression analyses of tissue is desirable.

Very good language skills in English are required.

Please note the eligibility criteria for researchers: Candidates must be in the first four years of his/her research career, not have a doctoral degree, and not have resided in Austria for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date.

Selection process: Applications including a motivation letter, a CV including publications (if available), copies of university degrees and courses (including obtained grades), and the names and e-mail addresses of two scientists who can provide references (all summarized in one pdf) should be sent to [email protected] and [email protected] . Preferential treatment will be given to applications received before 31 March 2022.

For more information concerning the research project please contact Prof. Dr. Ina Bergheim (Tel.: +43-1-4277-549 81; email: [email protected] ).

Closing date for receipt of applications is Thursday 31 March 2022

For information on moving to Austria, please see http://www.euraxess.at