Postdoctoral position in Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegenerative Diseases

The Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences is a department within the Faculty of Medicine at Uppsala University. The department currently has about 200 employees, and an additional 150 researchers are affiliated with the department. The activities consist of 10 research groups, and education is conducted at all levels. You can read more about us here.

The research group Molecular Geriatrics at the Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences is situated at Rudbeck Laboratory. The research is primarily focused on cellular and molecular mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and is performed in collaboration with national and international research groups.

You can read more about Molecular Geratrics here.

You can read more about Anna Erlandsson’s team here.

Decades of research have focused on neuronal abnormalities in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, while glial cells, including astrocytes, have been given much less attention. However, our results show that astrocytes are highly involved in the disease progression and spread pathogenic protein aggregates to nearby cells via different routes. For example, astrocytes contact their neighbors with thin thread-like projections (nanotubes) and release vesicles containing partially degraded material, which cause damage to surrounding neurons. The overall aim of the research project is to understand in which way astrocytes contribute to the propagation of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and thereby pave the way for future treatment strategies.

Duties
We are looking for a qualified and motivated postdoctoral researcher who will investigate novel astrocyte-mediated spreading mechanisms and inflammatory pathways. The work will primarily be focused on gene editing and studies of cell-to-cell interactions in hiPSC-derived cell systems, but will also include analysis of human material from patients with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

Requirements
PhD degree in neurobiology, cell biology, molecular biology or immunology, alternatively a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree in any of these subjects. The degree needs to be obtained by the time of the decision of employment. Priority will be given to applicants who have completed their degree no more than three years before the deadline for applications.  Due to special circumstances, the degree may have been obtained earlier. The three-year period can be extended due to circumstances such as sick leave, parental leave, duties in labor unions, etc.

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a broad experience in cell culture and molecular techniques. The applicant must be proficient in the English language, speech and writing, and have at least one published first-author article in a well-renowned scientific journal within the field. Great emphasis will be placed on personal qualities such as excellent collaboration skills, good initiative and high independence to drive the project forward.

Additional qualifications
Experience of working with advanced cell culture systems, such as iPSC-derived astrocytes, neurons and microglia and/or peripheral immune cells is a merit. In addition, it is an advantage if the candidate has experience in several of the following methods: vector cloning and transfection, CRISPR/Cas systems and gRNA designing, flow cytometry, high-resolution microscopy, time-lapse microscopy, electron microscopy, lipid droplet analysis, T cell activating assays and organoid cultures. It is also an advantage if the candidate master GraphPad Prism/R studio and Image J.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position of at least 2 years and at most 3 years, according to central collective agreement. Full time position. Starting date March 1st or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Anna Erlandsson, tel: +4618-4715060, e-mail: anna.erlandsson@uu.se

Please submit your application by 14 January 2025, UFV-PA 2024/4307.

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