PhD student position in the research group of Dr. Xingqi Chen - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology at Uppsala University (www.igp.uu.se) has a broad research profile with strong research groups focused on cancer, autoimmune and genetic diseases. A fundamental idea at the department is to stimulate translational research and thereby closer interactions between medical research and health care. Research is presently conducted in the following areas: medical and clinical genetics, clinical immunology, pathology, neuro-oncology, vascular biology, radiation science and molecular tools. Department activities are also integrated with the units for Oncology, Clinical Genetics, Clinical Immunology, Clinical Pathology, and Hospital Physics at Akademiska sjukhuset, Uppsala. The department has teaching assignments in several education programmes, including Master Programmes, at the Faculty of Medicine, and in a number of educations at the Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology. The department has a yearly turnover of around SEK 400 million, out of which more than half is made up of external funding. The staff amounts to approximately 340 employees, out of which 100 are PhD-students, and there are in total more than 600 affiliated people.

Project description:
A PhD student position is available for highly motivated individuals with interest in single cell biology at the unit of Molecular Tools at Uppsala University, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology. The research is focused on developing state-of-art single cell technology and to understand the cell fate decision during human disease. There are more than thousands cell types in our body, and each cell type plays critical role in our metabolism. Any error in controlling the cell function could affect our health. In addition, there are great heterogeneities within same cell type, which is shown to be highly relevant in diseases such as different cancers, and in drug resistance.

Currently the technologies to comprehensively define the cell heterogeneity are largely missing. Nervous system is one of the most complicated systems in our body, and there are more than hundreds of diseases linked to nervous system. The human glioblastoma, also known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is the most aggressive brain cancer. Even with extensive treatment, the most common length of survival time is less than 12 months. One of main reasons of such poor prognosis is the huge intra- and inter- heterogeneity of human glioblastoma.

The single cell RNA-seq study in human primary glioblastoma is a good start to investigate the molecular mechanism of glioblastoma heterogeneity, but the sampling of just one molecular type from individual cells provides incomplete picture since a cell’s fate is determined by the complex interplay of molecules within its genome, epigenetics, transcriptome and proteome. To completely understand the cell fate decision during the human glioblastoma progression, we need to characterize multi-layers of regulation, including, epigenetics, transcriptome and protein expression, as a circuitry loop from the exactly same cell. However, no technology is available so far. To this end, we would characterize the intra- and inter- heterogeneity of human primary glioblastoma from systematic manner by developing novel single cell multi-omics technology and systematic computational tools at year 1, 2 & 3, and decipher the cell types in the human clinical primary glioblastoma with state-of-the-art multi-omics at year 4. 

These new technologies could be generally useful in the tumor diagnosis, understanding the molecular basis of drug resistance in cancer and therapy of human diseases in the long term. Eventually the insight from our research could help to identify key players of driving the human glioblastoma progression, predict and control the cell fate decision, and make potential tool kits for the basic medical research of human glioblastoma. The insight from our research could give us better knowledge of cancer progression at single cell level, and provide a potential clinical diagnosis toolkit, and reveal a target for cancer therapy in the long term.

Further information on the activity of the research group can be accessed at http://igp.uu.se/research/molecular_tools/xingqi-chen/.

The successful candidate will devote most of the time towards his/her research level education. Other service activities within the department, e.g. education and administrative work can be included within the framework of the employment (maximum 20 %). The position will be extended with the time devoted to teaching to allow four years of full time graduate studies.

Qualifications:
The applicant should have MSc degree in bioinformatics, biotechnology or similar field. Strong merits would be experience in single cell RNA-seq data mining, functional genomics, Linux terminal programming, R and Python or other computer language programming and good knowledge of mathematics, biology and computer science. Basic knowledge of neurobiology is plus. Very strong merit would be good record in main author or co-author publication in functional genomics. Excellent skills in oral and written English are required.

Application procedure:
The application should include a CV, copies of exams, degrees and grades, contact details of two references and a short description of the applicant and his/her experience. Letters(s) of recommendation may be included. If the applicant has published scientific papers, they can also be included.

Information about education at the postgraduate level, admission requirements and admission decisions can be found at http://www2.medfarm.uu.se/utbildning/forskarniva/vill_du_borja/.

Selection of applicants will be done by the future tutor for the selected student in consultation with the postgraduate study group of the Department. The Postgraduate Programmes Committee at the Disciplinary Domain of Medicine will formally approve the student’s admission.

Setting the salary will be according to local guidelines at Uppsala University.

Uppsala University strives to be an inclusive workplace that promotes equal opportunities and attracts qualified candidates who can contribute to the University’s excellence and diversity. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and from people of all backgrounds.

Salary: According to local agreements for PhD students at Uppsala University.

Starting date: As soon as possible or as otherwise agreed.

Type of position: Full time.

For further information about the position please contact:
Dr. Xingqi Chen, email: xingqi.chen@igp.uu.se, BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 22 Uppsala

Welcome to submit your application by the latest 20 March, UFV-PA 2019/761.

Are you considering moving to Sweden to work at Uppsala University? If so, you will find much information about working and living in Sweden at www.uu.se/joinus. You are also welcome to contact the International Faculty and Staff Services at ifss@uadm.uu.se.