SmartAge ESR project 12
Host Organization: Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Germany
Secondments: National University of Ireland, Galway / Clinical Microbiomics, Denmark
The Research Group Medical Systems Biology at the Institute for Experimental Medicine at the Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Germany, offers a PhD position for an Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) for the project: Elucidation of metabolic and transcriptomic signatures of preserving cognition in old age. The position is part of the EU-funded Innovative Training Network SmartAge (“Gut-brain-axis: Targets for improvement of cognition in the elderly”) with full-time employment for a duration of 3 years, starting in January 2021.
Objective of the project: The aim of this project is to use data integration techniques and constraint-based modelling to identify key regulators of cognitive decline and improvement in the context of host-microbiome interactions. To this end, project-specific and public data will be analyzed in the context of constraint-based host-microbiota-interaction models to identify molecular pathways, key bacterial species and metabolites that mediate the effect of the microbiota on brain aging. In close interaction with experimental partners, the relevance of these regulators will be tested in organoid, cell culture and animal models with the ultimate goal to identify interventions that counteract microbiome-driven components of brain aging.
The PhD student will join an existing team with extensive knowledge in the hypothesis-driven analysis of high-throughput experimental data sets to elucidate the role of the microbiome in the pathogenesis and treatment of inflammatory diseases.
Requirements for the applicant: We expect a Master´s degree (or equivalent) in bioinformatics, systems biology, molecular biology or a related field and possess excellent programming skills (R, Perl, Python, C/C++ or Java) and Linux knowledge. Desirable methodological skills: excellent background in constraint-based metabolic modelling, analysis of next-generation sequencing data (RNA-Seq, genome sequencing) and statistics.
Very good language skills in English are required.
Please note the eligibility criteria for researchers: Candidates must be in the first four years of his/her research career, not have a doctoral degree, and not have resided in Germany for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date.
Selection process: Interested candidates please send 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) to . Preferential treatment will be given to applications received before 30 November 2020.
For more information concerning the research project please contact Prof. Dr. Christoph Kaleta (phone: 0049-431-50030340, ).