The financing entities are the Community of Madrid and the European Union, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - REACT-EU resources of the Madrid Operational Program 2014-2020, in the action line of R+D+i projects in response to COVID 19.

The work activity of the postdoctoral researcher will be integrated in the research project:  “Entendiendo y Afrontando el COVID-19 Persistente mediante la Nutrición de Precisión”-“FACINGLCOVID-CM”- Objetive 2.

The work plan focuses on

1) studying the influence of diet and certain micronutrients on metabolism, immune function, and interindividual inflammatory response, and evaluating their possible role in the manifestation of symptoms of severe COVID-19;

2) analyze the postprandial response of the diet in order to identify and implement new metabolic biomarkers with diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic potential in different chronic, autoimmune and viral diseases;

3) Evaluate the influence of diet on the microbiome and study its possible relationship in the severity of COVID-19 and other chronic diseases (i.e., fatty liver disease);

4) Study dietary epigenetic markers on the development of diseases involved with inflammation;

5) Evaluate the interaction of different markers, mechanisms of action and involvement of common pathophysiological pathways between obesity and liver diseases as well as cardiovascular risk factors with inflammation and insulin resistance; and

6) integration of clinical study data with nutriomics and metagenomics approaches to understand phenotypic interactions and response to specific nutrients and diets through nutrigenetic, nutrigenomic, and epigenomic processes for the development of precision medicine

Education requirements:

Have obtained a PhD in Biomedical Sciences or Experimental Sciences (Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Nutrition or Food Science) in the last 10 years

Knowledge and experience nutrition, epigenetics and intestinal microbiota.

Professional experience of interest:

-Experience in laboratory management. Management of biological samples, biochemical determinations, management of cell cultures, 3D cultures, Western Blot, RNA extraction, q-RT-PCR, miRNAs analysis, ELISA, colonic fermentation, management of fecal samples and management of metagenomic data.

- Participation in national and international multicenter projects.

- Researcher mobility accreditation

- Leadership

- Be the main author and/or corresponding author of articles published in journals indexed in the first quartile of the nutritional field related to the topic of the job offered.

- Being co-author in various publications related to the subject of the job.

- High English level.

Other merits to evaluate:

- International stays in the field of Biomedicine and/or nutrition.

- Participation in clinical or nutritional studies.

- Participation as co-author in scientific publications

- Management of final degree, master's, and/or doctorate students

- Scientific dissemination tasks

Skills:

- Results-oriented research, with a proactive, responsible and entrepreneur personality.

- Capacity for organization and leadership of research projects.

- Capacity for teamwork with ability for personal relationships.

Candidates will be selected based on the profiles described in Annex 1 as appropriately outlined in their CV by a Selection Committee composed by scientist staff of IMDEA Food Institute. Ad-hoc experts could be participating in the process. The best-qualified applicants can be invited locally for an interview by the Selection Committee.

The personal interview will consist of conducting a face-to-face or videoconference interview that will deal only with the merits declared by the candidates in the competition phase and will be aimed at assessing the candidate's suitability for the position. The interview will have a maximum duration of 45 minutes.

Selection criteria:

I. Aditional education: 0-30*

II. Aditional Professional experience & expertise: 0-30*

III. Other merits : 0-10*

IV. Interview: 0-30*

Type of contract: Temporary full-time employment contract with trial period established by law.

Dedication: full time (37,5 hours per week), flexible split day, from Monday to Friday.

Duration: This position is until December 31st, 2022. The position is non-renewable.  

Annual gross salary: 27.672 €

The incorporation of the candidate to the IMDEA Food Institute is expected to be immediately after the selection process.

Headquarter of the IMDEA Food Insitute, Madrid (SPAIN)