This contract is financing by FEDER/Ministry of Science and Innovation – State Research Agency, Project PCI2018-093009 -  Joint Programming Initiative ERA-HDHL EPIGENETICS, accoring to the Resolution of 21/05/2019 of the Presidency of the State Research Agency which resolves the Call for R&D&i projects «International Joint Programming» porposals, contemplated in the State R+D+I Program Oriented to the Challenges of Society, en el marco del State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2017-2020. Call 2018.

The Precision Nutrition and Obesity Program, within the IMDEA Food Institute, seeks for a postdoctoral researcher, to carry out scientific work related to the research project focus on the “Estudio en los cambios inducidos por la dieta en el metiloma y el transcriptoma para evaluar el impacto de la nutrición en la salud cardiometabólica”, according with the grant ref. PCI2018-093009. The position is intended to carry out research work, to highly performance and professional experience, that lead to the consolidation of his/her scientific career.

The work will consist primarily of carrying out research tasks, aimed at obtaining by the postdoctoral researcher a high level of professional improvement and specialization, leading to the consolidation of his/her professional experience.

Job description

The work linked to this vacancy is focused on the following research activities:

1) to study the impact of the diet on DNA methylation marks
2) to validate4 DNA methylation marks associated with food intake and nutrient consumption in different cohorts and clinical trials
3) to conduct interventional studies to assess the reversibility of the DNA methylation marks related to diet
4) to define the molecular mechanisms linking diet and DNA methylation
5) to identify microRNAs modulated by diet
6) to define the molecular mechanisms lining diet and microRNAs
7) to develop factorization, categorization, and machine learning analyses to characterize interindividual variability in the response to diet and nutrients
8) to integrate multiomics data from different cohorts and clinical trials to develop precision nutrition tools useful to prevent morbidity and mortality associated to non-communicable diseases.

Required Education:

Hold a PhD in Biomedical Sciences or Experimental Sciences (Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Chemistry, Nutrition or Food Science). 

Professional experience of interest:

- Previous experience in scientific research in the field of nutrition and epigenetics.

- Experience in human database management and epidemiological statistical analysis or clinical trials. Experience in human genetic/epigenetic data.

- Experience in molecular biology procedures: processing of clinical samples, cell culture, western blott, RNA and DNA isolation, RT.qPCR, microRNA analyses, experimental procedures with animal models, and general biochemical, molecular, and genomic/epigenomic determinations.

- Participation in national and international multicenter projects.

- Accredited research mobility.

- Leadership.

- First or relevant authorship in several articles published in biomedical and nutritional journals related to the Program.

Other merits to evaluate:

- International stays will be positively considered.

- Participation in clinical/Nutritional l trials.

- Authorship in scientific publications.

- Supervision of undergraduate or postgraduate students.

- Previous participation in scientific divulgation activities.

- High English skills.

Skills:

Competencies: purposeful, highly initiative-taking, responsible, and creative.

Organizational skills and leadership in research projects.

Ability to work as part of a team with the ability to build 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 Professional experience & expertise: 0-40*

II. Other merits : 0-30*

III. 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: 12 months.

Annual gross salary: 28,509 euro.

Incorporation: immediately.

Headquarter of the IMDEA Food Insitute, Madrid (SPAIN)