Organisation/Company Université catholique de Louvain
Department Institutue of Neurosciences
Research Field Neurosciences » Neurophysiology
Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1)
Country Belgium
Application Deadline 31 Jan 2024 - 18:00 (Europe/Brussels)
Type of Contract Temporary
Job Status Full-time
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by an EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Painful peripheral neuropathy is a debilitating disorder, reflected in reduced quality of life. Therapeutic strategies are limited and, in most cases, targeted treatments are not available. Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels are key cellular sensors of noxious external stimuli at the beginning of the pain pathway. This research project involves the search for recurrent mutations of TRP ion channels in patients with severe chronic pain to understand whether there is a genetic predisposition to the development of the pain conditions and to develop personalized therapies to normalize the activity of the mutant channels.
The present project is strongly multidisciplinary and combines genetic screening of patients, biophysical study of TRP channel variants, use of patient-specific iPSC-derived sensory neurons, and rational design of TRP channel modulators.
To this end, we use functional techniques, including patch clamp electrophysiology and cellular imaging, to measure ion channel activity and the effects of mutations and pharmacological agents on the biophysical properties of ion channels. In addition, we employ animal models that mimic neuropathic pain conditions to conduct preclinical testing of potential therapies.
Roberta Gualdani, Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), UCLouvain, Belgium.
Research Field Neurosciences » Neurophysiology
Education Level Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
The candidate should hold a master's degree in Neuroscience, Biology, Medicine, Chemistry, Biomedical and Health Sciences or related fields at the start of the position. In addition, the candidate should have a keen interest in ion channel biophysics and pain signaling.
The candidate should be fluent in English and/or French.
The application should include a complete CV, a motivation letter explaining why the applicant is best suited for this project, and 2 letters of recommendation.
Languages ENGLISH
Level Excellent
Languages FRENCH
Level Good
Internal Application form(s) needed
Roberta Gualdani PhD POSITION.pdf English (216.73 KB - PDF)
Number of offers available 1
Company/Institute Institute of Neuroscience, UClouvain
Country Belgium
City Brussels
Postal Code 1200
Street Avenue E. Mounier 53
The Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) is internationally recognized for research and teaching quality in many different fields of expert...
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