Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Salary: £33,797 - £40,322 – Fixed term for 36 months
Centre For Cancer Research
The Wilkinson laboratory seeks a postdoctoral research fellow. This Cancer Research UK-funded post is available from May 2020 for an initial term of three years (salary of £33,797-£40,322, dependent upon experience).
Selective autophagy of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER-phagy) is emerging as a fundamental pathway in maintenance of cellular health. Furthermore, our laboratory has identified aberrations in ER-phagy during formation and progression of pancreatic and gastric cancer. To understand the consequence of these perturbations and thus to understand the translational potential of ER-phagy molecules, we need to model the role of key ER-phagy genes in cancer.
The successful applicant will analyse the role of several novel ER-phagy genes (already identified in the laboratory) using conditional knockout and/or activation in genetically-engineered mouse (GEM) models of pancreatic cancer and in pancreatic organoid cultures. Techniques will include immunohistochemistry, RNA-seq, secretory profiling and proteomics of tissue samples. The candidate will concurrently acquire supporting evidence for the translational potential of their findings via analysis of human tissue samples and existing human omic datasets, in collaboration with expert bioinformaticians. Via this approach they will define molecular subtypes of pancreatic cancer that are vulnerable to targeting of ER-phagy or related responses, such as ER stress signalling pathways.
Overall, the work will contribute to a larger high-quality program of research designed to address the mechanisms and the physiological significance of selective autophagy pathways in health and in cancer.
Ref: 051394. Closing date: 09 March 2020.
For further particulars and to submit an application visit our website
www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk