PHD POSITION IN PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH

The Developmental Tumor Research Area led by Dr. Mora is currently looking for a PhD student to join our team at the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona of the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu.

https://www.irsjd.org/es/investigacion/program/2

The main aims of our research are to increase our capacity to cure childhood cancer through comprehensive and personalized care, to achieve new effective treatments for currently incurable cancers and increase the number of surviving infants. This position constitutes an opportunity to work on a meaningful project for the improvement of treatment and quality of life of paediatric cancer patients.

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate to join our research team for an innovative project focusing on enhancer disruption using epigenetic drugs in Ewing Sarcoma. This project aims to characterize cancer stem cells and will utilize a combination of in vivo and in vitro models. The research seeks to identify novel therapeutic strategies targeting the epigenetic mechanisms that drive tumor growth and treatment resistance in pediatric cancers.

The successful candidate will be based at our hospital research center, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, including clinicians. The candidate will be integrated in the lab of the Pediatric Cancer Research Area and work in coordination with other predoctoral students and postdocs.

Main tasks and responsibilities

- Conduct experiments using pediatric cancer models both in vivo (patient derived xenografts) and in vitro (cell cultures).
- Develop and optimize molecular biology techniques such as RT- qPCR, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, Western blotting, RNA interference and cloning.
-Genome-wide analysis including whole genome sequencing (WGS), RNA-Seq or ChIP-Seq,
- Phenotypically and molecularly characterize cancer stem cells by cytometry.
- Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of molecular biologists, biochemists, and clinicians.
- Contribute to the writing of scientific publications and the presentation of findings at conferences.

Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy, Biology, Biomedicine, Medicine, or related fields.
-Previous experience in the mentioned methodologies is welcome.
-Willingness to work with patient-derived xenograft mouse models.

Desirable Qualities:

-High organizational and reporting skills.
-Ability to work independently and in collaboration with other researchers.
-Good communication in English, both orally and in written form for presenting research findings, writing papers, and engaging with the academic community.
-A proactive nature with critical thinking.
-Curiosity and passion for learning new techniques, methodologies, and knowledge throughout their PhD period.
- Perseverance and persistence in seeking solutions

We offer:

-A full time contract with a trial period of 4 months.
-Preferably immediate hiring.
-Training opportunities according to the experience.
-A challenging and motivating environment with high growth possibilities and continuous learning.
-An interesting and versatile work place and a pleasant working atmosphere.
-Be part of an excellent multidisciplinary research center.
-Participate in specialized courses and workshops and congresses