CALL FOR A POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER FOR THE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR GERONTOLOGY RESEARCH GROUP/LABORATORY AT THE IMDEA FOOD FOUNDATION (PROJECT “METALICA”)

Full Call for Application

IMDEA Food Institute (Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food) adheres to the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researcher.


The IMDEA Food Institute is a research institution created by the Madrid Regional Government in coordination with universities, research centers of Madrid, and enterprises. Constituted as a non-profit organization within the framework of the IV Regional Plan for Scientific Research and Technological Innovation (IV PRICIT), it is conceived - structurally and legally - with the aim of bringing research into society.

IMDEA Food Institute is committed to excellence in research and to foster technology transfer to the industrial sector in a truly international environment. More information about the research and scope of the activities of IMDEA Food Institute can be found at the institute webpage http://www.food.imdea.org

Description

This contract is part of the CNS2023-144419 action, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union "Next Generation EU"/PRTR, with the action reference being the reference that appears in the grant resolution; MCIN being the acronym for the Ministry of Science and Innovation; AEI being the acronym for the State Research Agency; 10.13039/501100011033 being the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) of the Agency; and PRTR being the acronym for the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan.

The purpose of the contract is to collaborate in the development of the R&D project: "New therapeutic alternatives through drug repositioning: Simultaneous reprogramming of glycolytic and mitochondrial metabolism against liver cancer" (reference CNS2023-144419).

The scientific and technical activities linked to the project focus on:

1) Identifying novel interventions that result in better protection against liver cancer.

2) Recognizing metabolic behaviors and intracellular effectors in tumor cells in response to pharmacological treatments.

3) Determining gender differences in response to treatments in preclinical models.

Main functions to be developed:

- Experimental development related to the project.

- Molecular Biology Techniques: RNA and DNA isolation, reverse transcription (RNA to cDNA), quantitative and qualitative analysis of nucleic acids, primer design and validation, gene expression analysis by PCR and qPCR, protein quantification, Western Blot, ELISAs, SeaHorse, flow cytometry.

- Bioinformatic analyses related to the project (RNA-seq, proteomics).

- Writing research project applications to ethical committees.

- Implementation and development of induced tumorigenesis experiments in murine animal models.

- Support in dissemination tasks of the group and the center related to the project.

- Experimental and technical support to the research staff of the group in relation to the project(s), including supervision tasks of research personnel in training.

Requirements

I. Required Qualifications:

*Education Level:

- PhD in Health Sciences or a related field.

*Research Field:  Metabolism and Cancer.

 II. Evaluation of merit:

*Additional Training to be Evaluated (other qualifications, other knowledge):

- Possession of a University Degree in Health Sciences (Biology, Biochemistry, or similar).

- Possession of an official University Master's Degree in Health Sciences or similar.

- Possession of the Certificate to work with experimental animals, functions A, B, and C.

*Professional Experience to be Evaluated:

- Previous experience in research laboratories related to the activities to be developed.

- International experience in laboratories and/or companies related to the project.

- Experience handling murine animal models (gastric probes, physical activity assays, glucose and insulin tolerance tests, tumor cell injection, handling, weighing, necropsies, sacrifice, etc.).

- Experience in bioinformatics analysis.

- Participation and presentation of communications at scientific congresses in research areas related to the position, having at least one oral communication at a national congress.

- Scientific publications and relevance, with at least one publication in a leadership position.

*Other Merits to be Evaluated:

- Courses and training activities related to the subject.

- Experience in scientific dissemination activities to the general population.

- Proficiency in software programs (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, GraphPad Prism, ImageJ, RasMol, IGV, Fast-QC, Jalview, ClustalX2, SnapGene).

- Proficiency in bibliographic managers (Mendeley, Zotero, RefWorks).

- Proficiency in statistical programs (R, SPSS).

*Capabilities and Skills (to be evaluated in the interview):

- Motivation.

- Teamwork skills.

- Proficiency in English.

- Knowledge of the research area related to the position.

- Problem-solving skills.

- Organizational and time management skills.

- Suitability for the position.

Selection Criteria

The selection of candidates shall be carried out in accordance with the principles of equality, merit, ability and publicity, as well as objectivity, independence and professional rigour, respecting the confidentiality of the personal data of the participants, by means of a merit-based competition.

Once the deadline for the submission of applications has expired, and once the fulfilment of the requirements listed in the second base has been verified, the Selection Committee will proceed to assess the merits included in the curricula vitae related to the post and to select the candidates who best meet the established requirements, and will then open a second selection phase consisting of a personal interview.

The personal interview will consist of a face-to-face or videoconference interview which will focus solely on the merits put forward by the candidates in the competition phase and will be aimed at assessing the candidate's suitability for the post. The interview will last a maximum of 45 minutes.

Scale - selection criteria:

The evaluation process will be carried out according to the following criteria:

I. Additional training to be assessed: 0-30*.

II. Experience to be assessed: 0-30*.

III. Other merits to be assessed: 0-10*.

IV. Interview: 0-30

Conditions

Contract Type: Temporary contract of fixed duration linked to programs funded by NextGeneration EU funds for the implementation of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, with a probationary period established by law.

Dedication:Full-time, 37.5 hours/week from Monday to Friday. The hired personnel must be exclusively dedicated to the project.

 Gross Annual Salary: As stated in the official announcement

Duration: 17 months, extendable until the end of the project, depending on the budget availability.

Start Date: Immediate.

Workplace

Headquarter of the IMDEA Food Insitute, Madrid (SPAIN)

Documents

 


Equal Employment Opportunity

Equal opportunities are guaranteed in the selection process, without any forms of discrimination. 

IMDEA Food commitment is to guarantee equality in measures to balance personal, family and working life and to promote gender equality.