A post-doctoral position is available in the Laboratory of “Hormone-Related Cancers and Stem Cell Pathobiology” at the European Institute of Oncology (Milan, Italy) headed by Prof. Salvatore Pece. Central to the work of Pece’s Lab is the need to resolve the heterogeneity of the tumor ecosystem and harness this knowledge to identify novel therapeutically actionable vulnerabilities and predictive prognostic biomarkers for patient stratification to advance a framework for precision oncology. Paramount to this end is the enduring liaison and collaborative effort of the Lab with the clinical activities of the IEO Hospital in Milan.
Special focus of Pece’s lab is on genes and signaling pathway components that are involved in the acquisition of plasticity through subversion of the normal tissue hierarchy, thereby instructing aberrant morphogenetic programs and evolutionary trajectories that underlie tumorigenesis, while introducing druggable vulnerabilities for targeted treatments. Our projects usually start from explorative studies in densely clinico-pathologically phenotyped retrospective longitudinal cohorts of real-life patients, followed by in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies in physiopathologically relevant and experimentally tractable models based on the use of organoids and xenografts derived from real-life patients or genetically modified mouse models, integrated with multi-layered omics, single cell dynamics, including multiplexed immuno-histochemistry/immunofluorescence technologies and in situ transcriptomic analyses, combined with high-end computational biology approaches.
We are currently looking for a highly motivated candidate who will be involved in a project aiming to deconvolute the heterogeneity of the tumor ecosystem in bladder and prostate cancer leveraging global and single-cell transcriptomic profiling techniques combined with in situ multiplexed imaging and spatial transcriptomics techniques on samples derived from genetically modified mouse models and real-life patients.
The ideal candidate should have:
- A recent PhD in molecular, cellular or cancer biology, or a specialization in molecular pathology;
- Specific interest in stem cell biology and mechanisms controlling normal and cancer tissue hierarchy;
- Expertise in basic molecular and cell biology techniques and imaging;
- Experience in post-omic technologies (transcriptomic, proteomic, bulk and single – cell RNA/DNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics/ immunofluorescence);
- Good Knowledge of English language.
- Attitude to work both independently and as a part of a laboratory team;
Note: previous expertise in multiplexed immunofluorescence imaging, spatial in situ analyses, biocomputational skills and three-dimensional organoid models will be considered a strong added value.
The position will be initially for one year, renewable for three years, and is available immediately.
The salary will be commensurate with experience.
Posted on 13th February 2025