PhD student in lymphatic developmental biology

The Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology at Uppsala University has a broad research profile with strong research groups focused on, among other things, cancer, autoimmune and genetic diseases. One of the basic ideas at the department is to stimulate translational research and thus a closer collaboration between medical research and healthcare. Research is conducted in medical and clinical genetics, clinical immunology, pathology, neurooncology, vascular biology, radiation science and molecular tools. Parts of the business are also integrated with the departments of oncology, clinical genetics, clinical immunology, clinical pathology and hospital physics at the University Hospital. The department has teaching assignments in a number of program programs and master's programs within the Faculty of Medicine as well as a number of programs in the field of technical-natural science. The department has a turnover of around SEK 450 million, of which just over half is external research grants. The number of employees is about 500, of which about 100 are doctoral students, and there are a total of over 700 active in the workforce. Please read more about the department's activities here: www.igp.uu.se.

Duties
Lymphatics Lab
The student will be placed in the Lymphatics Lab research group led by Kaska Koltowska (koltowskalab.com). Our research group studies lymphatic vessel formation in zebrafish, as a main model system. Lymphatic vessels are predominantly derived from a defined venous, vascular network, posing an intruding question of how cells know to form one vasculature from another. The overarching goal of my lab is to broaden our understanding of how lymphatic vessels form and establish function; and apply this knowledge to the development of new therapeutics.

Project description:
Lymphangiogenesis, the process of lymphatic vessels formation from pre-existing vessels, is marked by the onset of Prox1 expression. Recently we have discovered the induction of Prox1 is a progressive process. This is coupled with bipotential LEC progenitors undergoing a cell division before sprouting from the cardinal vein (CV). We have further teased out that Vegfc signalling is apical to this process and drives cell division and Prox1 expression in lymphatic daughter cells. This work posed a question of how Vegfc signalling and Prox1 transcriptional cascade together coordinate the lymphatic fate. This PhD project will involve dissecting this question using transcriptomics and imaging base approaches in zebrafish.

Main techniques and analysis required in this project: RNA sequencing, CRISPR-Cas9 gRNAs technology, generation and maintenance of zebrafish lines, confocal fluorescence microscopy, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridisation, objective quantification of imaging data, quality control, large data sets and statistical analysis, manuscripts preparation.

The student will receive a thorough education in molecular biology, zebrafish husbandry, fluorescence microscopy and handling of large datasets.

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.

The application should be written in English and include:

• 1) a cover letter describing yourself, your research interests and your experience relevant to this position.
• 2) a CV/resume; a verified list of course grades; and contact details for at least two reference persons.
• 3) 2-page synopsis of the most recent discoveries in zebrafish lymphatic development (including reference list).
• 4) If available, a Master's thesis (completed or in draft form) and letters of recommendation can also be included. 

Requirements
Applications are accepted from highly motivated candidates with a master degree in Biomedicine, (Molecular) Medicine, Molecular (Cell) Biology or similar. Written and oral proficiency in English is a prerequisite, as is basic knowledge of, and skills in molecular biology. A successful candidate should be a highly motivated, organized, reliable team player that can also work independently. Prior experience in fluorescence microscopy and zebrafish husbandry is essential.  Knowledge of bioinformatics, programming and image-based analyses are a bonus.

To meet the entry requirements for doctoral studies, you must

• hold a Master’s (second-cycle) degree in in biology, neuroscience, biomedicine or a related field
• have completed at least 240 credits in higher education, with at least 60 credits at Master’s level including an independent project worth at least 15 credits, or
• have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way.
  These additional skills are advantagouse:
• Knowledge of developmental biology, vascular biology
• Experience with animal models and/or in vivo imaging
• Experience in wet lab
• Have strong communication skills (oral and written English)
• Have strong interpersonal skills consistent with working in a team. 

Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Doctoral studies - Uppsala University (uu.se)

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date 01.10 2024 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact Kaska Koltowska, 0729999512, kaska.koltowska@igp.uu.se

Please submit your application by 1 August 2024, UFV-PA 2024/1663.

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