Uniwersytet Medyczny w Lublinie

PhD-STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP (4 years) at the Chair and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, Poland

We seek a highly motivated and enthusiastic PhD student or a PhD student candidate at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin. The position of a PhD-student is available for a period of four (4) years.

 

The position is part of the consortium project: ”Benchmarking Human Tissue Culture Systems that Mimic the Tumor Microenvironment”, financed by the NCN (National Science Centre). Principal Investigator (PI) is Prof. Matthias Nees. The laboratory provides an international and interdisciplinary research environment with close links to clinical research, biotechnology, and bioinformatics.

 

About a project

 

Work task:

 

• Carrying out practical laboratory work as described in the project summary
• The project is in a collaboration with the University of Warsaw, and we expect the student to spend time at our partners laboratories to facilitate scientific exchange
• Develop 3D cell culture model systems, including patient-derived organoids and tissue explants (PDO and PDE)
• Utilize advanced tissue engineering techniques to regenerate tissue-like structures in vitro – with the goal to mimic the complex architecture of solid tumours, with a focus on head & neck cancers
• Monitor the fate of patient-derived immune cells within the tissue models, and develop in vitro models for immuno-oncology
• Ideally, get involved in bioinformatics analyses and interpretation of single cell RNA sequencing data (with our consortium partners
• Collaborate with our research partners within the consortium (Drs. Tomasz Kaminski and Marcin Tabaka/University of Warsaw), and our external collaborators in Germany and Finland
• Attend courses to increase your knowledge on topics such as omics technologies, bioinformatics, systems biology, microfluidics, and disease modelling
• Analyse data and write scientific research articles related to your experimental work – which are essential for the PhD thesis

 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

 

• Graduate of MSc studies in the following fields: Biology, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Genetics or Biomedicine (or related fields)
• Readiness to start education at the Doctoral School of the Medical University of Lublin, PhD student status at the start and throughout participation in the project
• Good practical and theoretical knowledge of cell and molecular biology, immunology, ideally cancer genetics/oncology and personalized medicine
• Experience in cell- and tissue culture techniques, tissue engineering, organ-on-chip and/or microfluidics technologies, and 3D model systems
• Experience in confocal microscopy, ideally automated image analyses, artificial intelligence and/or deep learning
• Ideally, background in bioinformatics, and basic programming skills (Python, C++, R/bioconductor, or other applications useful in systems biology)
• Great work capacity and enthusiasm for research and scientific thinking
• An active participation in student groups, societies and attending scientific courses, workshops, meetings, and conferences, both national and international
• Fluency in spoken and written English. The working language in the lab is English.
• Publications in refereed journals, any internships abroad, or demonstrated teaching abilities will be considered as additional advantages

 

THE APPLICATION MUST CONTAIN:

 

• A brief motivation letter outlining why you are interested in the position, your previous research projects and work experience (CV) and your career goals.
• A description of your master’s thesis
• Copies of diplomas and all relevant certificates
• Complete list of conference abstracts and/or publications
• A list of job references, and/or contact details of 2 referees
• For the purpose of the recruitment process, please attach the following document

 

• Attachment 1

We offer:

 

• Salary level (scholarship) is 5 000 Polish zloty gross/month for 4 years (48 months). An active environment and a highly motivated group.

 

How to apply:

 

• Please attach your application in English as one pdf file (max 15 Mb) and send it to: agnieszka.styczynska@umlub.pl

The deadline for sending applications: 28th February 2022 (may be prolonged due to lack of candidates meeting the criteria). Planned date of resolving the competition: March 2022 (or later, if the deadline for sending applications is prolonged). Reviewing of the candidates will begin in March 2022 and will continue until the position is filled. Planned start date of the scholarship: April 2022 (or later, if the deadline for sending applications is prolonged)

 

Additional information:

 

The best candidates will be invited for a job interview of about 30 minutes, organized on the Zoom platform. Pre-selected candidates may be asked for a 2^nd stage interview. The decision of the Recruitment Committee cannot be appealed.

The scholarship is granted according to regulations for awarding regulations for awarding Ncn scholarships for Ncn-funded research projects.

The NCN research scholarship may be combined with other scholarships and salaries financed from NCN funds awarded under more than one research project, with the reservation that the total amount of scholarships and salaries collected may not exceed 5 000 PLN per month.