We are inviting applications for a 2-year postdoc position for a project at the intersection of human cellular modeling, large-scale electrophysiology, gene therapy and multi-modal data analysis. The candidate will work at the ETH Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (BSSE) and closely collaborate with groups at the Roche Institute for Translational Bioengineering (ITB) and Roche Innovation Center (pRED). The preferred starting date is October 2022; the exact starting date can be negotiated.

Project background: Human iPSC-derived cellular models are transforming our ability to probe the mechanisms and pathogenic drivers of neurodevelopmental diseases. As it is now possible to generate stem-cell-derived neural cells in a highly reproducible and scalable manner from any healthy/diseased individual, there are realistic prospects for progress in our understanding of the specific pathogenetic mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental diseases and the development of personalized treatments.

Job description: In this project, we will characterize 2D and 3D iPSC-derived human cellular models of Rett and dup15q syndrome using high-throughput large-scale extracellular electrophysiology, patch-clamping and single-cell genomic methods – and attempt phenotype rescues using pharmacological and gene-therapeutic interventions. The Postdoc will lead activities in a highly interdisciplinary project that aims at gaining mechanistic insights into neurodevelopmental disorders using a comprehensive multi-modal description of human iPSC-derived human cellular models in healthy and diseased states.

The main activities and responsibilities will include:
- generation and maintenance of in vitro human cellular models.
- electrophysiological and optical functional characterization as well as analysis of the acquired data.
- treatment interventions using pharmacological and genetic approaches.
- guidance and supervision of practical work of other team members (PhD students).