Research assistant in neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Research assistant in neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, at the intersection of sleep disruption

Precision medicine is the research area aiming to tailor diagnostics and treatments based on for example genetics, environment and lifestyle. In this project, based on cohort studies and complementary advanced intervention studies, we will identify biomarkers in the field of neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, and how these interact with sleep and circadian rhythms.

The Department of Medical Sciences is a large clinical institution with more than 250 employees and over 900 additional coworkers connected via the Uppsala University Hospital. The Department of Medical Sciences has a broad research profile with strong research groups in a number of different areas. The research carried out at the department is performed in close connection with the clinical activities at the Uppsala University Hospital, which includes both basic studies on the causes of a variety of illnesses and the development and evaluation of improved diagnostics and new treatment methods. More information about the Department of Medical Sciences can be found at www.medsci.uu.se

The position is for 12 months and will be conducted at the unit for Transplantation and regenerative medicine.

Within the framework of a larger EU collaboration, the project intends to use both so-called systems biology and precision medicine to establish new diagnostic tools, biomarkers and treatment therapies for complex brain diseases, including neurocognitive and neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer's disease), sleep disorders and interlinked metabolic perturbations. The patients will be examined several times, including different times of the day, when different types of samples and patient characteristics are collected.

Collected samples and data, will undergo analysis, for example for blood-based protein levels. These will then be used to try to tailor diagnostics and prognosis, as well as to predict treatment responses. In addition to high-resolution sleep recordings and activity data, we will also collect data on individuals’ metabolism, to map if such parameters can predict various disease variables.

Advanced intervention studies (with sampling in a well-controlled sleep laboratory) will also be used in parallel. The focus will be research on how sleep and lifestyle factors interact with common public health diseases that affect cognition and metabolism, such as type 2 diabetes. Here too, one of the sub-aims will be to find new biomarkers, such as molecules in blood or in the intestinal microbiome.

As part of the project, you will interact with researchers from several countries (mainly EU countries). The project will provide new insight into important diseases that affect the brain, with a focus on sleep, metabolism and neurodegenerative diseases, i.e. some of the great health challenges of our time.

In our group, you will be able to gain knowledge about sleep and circadian rhythms, while also having the opportunity to gain valuable laboratory-based experience. You will also have opportunities for author positions on manuscripts, and to participate in several different research collaborations.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at Uppsala University

Job duties

• Help handling, storing and analyzing samples from cohort and interventional studies. The aim of the greater project is to find new biomarkers and disease mechanisms specific to different types of neurodegenerative, sleep and metabolic disorders.
• Collaborative work with the partner groups within the EU-Horizon project MES-CoBraD, for sample handling and the above analyses, both in the lab and at partner facilities, including at Uppsala University.
• Participating in ELISA assays for analysis of specific proteins or biomarkers, assisting setting up samples for for multiplex biomarker protein assays and other targeted assays relevant to cognition, neurodegenerative changes and changes in metabolism (eg stress hormones, blood sugar metabolism).

Qualification requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, such as in biomedicine, biochemistry, pharmacy or other area of relevance.
• Experience of laboratory project work and research projects, or clinical work. Applicants who have documented experience of laboratory or clinically relevant work will be given priority.
• Experience in handling blood or laboratory samples, or other basic laboratory work, such as pipetting of different volumes, sample tube handling,
• Experience with clinical studies
• Of great importance are personal qualifiations, such as the ability to interact with other researchers of our team. You must be structured, used to taking notes, and able to work effectively, both individually and in a group.

To the extent possible, the qualifications should be documented, such as via letters of recommendation or other relevant documentation

Desirable/deserving otherwise
While not necessary, knowledge of relevant specific types of wet lab work, e.g. with ELISA methods, immunohistochemistry, pipetting, qPCR and western blotting is desirable. Similarly, bioinformatic experience in relevant work (such as processing large data sets or time-resolved data), experience with different bioinformatic pipelines and visualization environments (e.g. ggplot2, illustrator), programming in other (scripting) languages (e.g. R , python, MATLAB), experience in research collaborations and project organization, are also all desirable experiences.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position of 12 months according to central collective agreement. Scope of employment 100%. Starting date as agreed, but no later than May 1, 2023. Placement: Uppsala.

For further information about the position, please contact: Jonathan Cedernaes, jonathan.cedernaes@medsci.uu.se

Please submit your application by March 7, 2023, UFV-PA 2023/594.

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