Postdoc in vision restoration using modified rabies virus tracing (SONATA BIS 9, Recruitment 73/2026)

Postdoctoral position in the Ophthalmic Biology Group led by Dr hab. Andrzej Foik at the International Centre for Translational Eye Research (ICTER), Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The NCN SONATA BIS 9 project develops a method to deliver opsins to surviving neurons of the degenerating retina to restore vision and slow network degeneration in animal models of common inherited mutations, and uses cell-type-specific viral tracing, including AAV vectors with the GAD1 promoter in wide-field amacrine cells and pseudotyped rabies virus, to map the retinal connectome in healthy and diseased animals.

Tasks include molecular biology and neurobiology experiments in vivo and in vitro, gene cloning and vector design, cell and rodent transfections, virus production, microscopy imaging, ethics applications, reporting and supervising students. Full-time employment for up to 6 months from 24 November 2026 at around PLN 9,600 gross per month. Applications (CV, cover letter, list of projects and publications, confirmation of doctorate) go to rekrutacja@ichf.edu.pl quoting recruitment number 73/2026; interviews are planned for 16–17 November and results for 23 November 2026.

PhD in biology, neurobiology, medicine or a related field obtained within 7 years before joining (career-break extensions apply); the PI must not have been the candidate's PhD supervisor and the candidate must not have been employed at IPC PAS in the previous two years; hands-on molecular biology, gene cloning, vector design and virus production; teamwork and project management; proficient English; animal-experimentation training is an asset.