Senior Researcher in Human-Based Cell Models for Genetic Parkinson’s Disease

Within PROTEO-NAM-PD, a project of Eurac Research's Institute for Biomedicine and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Frank Heppner and Markus Ralser), the institute is establishing a human-based discovery platform for GBA1-associated Parkinson's disease that combines brain-organoid and microphysiological New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) with deep proteomics, lipidomics, high-content imaging and electrophysiology. The senior researcher will lead the biology workstream: developing and applying hiPSC-derived midbrain organoids and related microphysiological systems, designing workflows that characterise disease mechanisms and compound responses, establishing reproducible organoid generation and quality control, benchmarking organoid NAMs against stratified human brain tissue, and interpreting multi-omic and functional signatures with bioinformatics, proteomics and clinical partners to prioritise targets for validation.

The role includes supervising junior researchers. The full-time position at NOI Techpark in Bolzano lasts up to three years with a gross annual salary of 49,773.36 to 52,423.77 euros.

PhD in cell biology, developmental biology, neuroscience, bioengineering, toxicology or a closely related discipline with three to six years of relevant postdoctoral experience; strong hands-on expertise in advanced human cell models, ideally brain organoids, neural 3D cultures, hiPSC-derived models or microphysiological platforms; demonstrated experience developing and applying complex in vitro human models for biomedical research. Expertise in Parkinson's disease biology, lysosomal, lipid or mitochondrial biology, CRISPR/Cas9 editing of iPS cells, multi-omic integration and supervision is desirable.