Postdoctoral researcher to develop antisense therapies for familial Alzheimer’s Disease
Description
The Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases headed by prof. Bart De Strooper in collaboration with the Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies headed by Prof. Maarten Dewilde, is looking for a motivated postdoctoral scientist to join our multidisciplinary project on gene therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease. This work is focused on the specific targeting of clinical mutations that cause dominant inherited Alzheimer’s disease using an unique antisense strategy (ASO). We will couple those ASO to our proprietary blood-brain shuttles to improve brain exposure, improve administration via intravenous instead of intrathecal routes, and decrease toxicity associated with ASO treatment. The candidate will be involved in both the generation and the testing of the ASO constructs and will follow the clinical candidates on their journey from preclinical to clinical application. Candidates with a strong biological/medical focus or candidates with a focus on (ASO) chemistry and medical development are welcome and we might actually recruit two persons with complementary expertise.
Additional information may be found in the following selected references:
- De Strooper, B. & Karran, E. New precision medicine avenues to the prevention of Alzheimer's disease from insights into the structure and function of gamma-secretases. EMBO J 43, 887-903 (2024).
- Rue, L. et al. Novel Human/Non-Human Primate Cross-Reactive Anti-Transferrin Receptor Nanobodies for Brain Delivery of Biologics. Pharmaceutics 15 (2023).
Profile
Required:
The successful candidate:
- Should hold a PhD degree in neuroscience, biology, chemistry, engineering or a related field
- Should be creative, enthusiastic, critically thinking, and motivated
- Ready to work against stringent deadlines
- Enjoys teamwork and has excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
Appreciated:
- Experience working with laboratory mice (FELASA B)
- Experience with ASO chemistry
- Knowledge of blood brain barrier biology and transport
- Knowledge of the literature on neurodegenerative disorders
- Good understanding of antisense oligonucleotide therapies
- Good publication record
Offer
- An exceptional strong scientific environment
- Possibility to supervise students and technicians and develop an independent research profile
- Access to state-of-the-art infrastructure
- A stimulating, diverse international world-class research environment
- Animal models, expertise in neurodegenerative disorders
- Financial support is available for at least 2 years (renewable one year contract). However, the successful candidate is encouraged to obtain a personal fellowship (Marie-Curie, HFSP, EMBO, or National funding organizations).
- Start date: as soon as possible - the position is available immediately
How to apply
Motivated candidates with a strong interest in neurodegeneration and with a strong commitment to basic research are invited to apply. Please complete the online application procedure and include a CV, a list of publications, a summary of past research and the contact information of 2 to 3 referees. The best-ranked candidates will be invited for an interview.
For additional information concerning this position, please contact Bart De Strooper (Bart.Destrooper@kuleuven.be) or Maarten De Wilde (maarten.dewilde@kuleuven.be)