SmartAge ESR project 1
Host: University of Vienna, Austria
Secondments: Cherry Biotech, France / Wageningen University, Netherlands
The research group of Prof. Dr. Ina Bergheim, Molecular Nutritional Sciences, Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Vienna, Austria, offers a PhD position for an Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) for the project: Intestinal barrier function in age-dependent gut-brain interaction: dietary interventions with oat β-glucans. 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 for a duration of 3 years, starting in March 2021.
Objective of the project: The aim of the project is to elucidate if targeting intestinal microbiota and barrier function through intake of dietary fibers (oat β-glucans) protects from aging-associated alterations of intestinal microbiota and barrier function and improves cognitive function. 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 nutrition-based prevention and therapy approaches, herein.
The PhD student will join an existing team with main research focus and extensive knowledge in the thematic field of nutritional sciences, metabolic diseases and molecular mechanisms of aging-associated alterations in 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 model organisms, histological analysis and clinical chemistry, immunohistochemical analyses as well as gene and protein expression analyses of tissue.
Very good language skills in English are required.
Please note the eligibility criteria for ESRs: 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 Preferential treatment will be given to applications received before 30 November 2020.
For more information concerning the research project please contact Prof. Dr. Ina Bergheim (Tel.: +43-1-4277-549 81; email: ).