Postdoc position Disease mechanisms and therapy development for neurodevelopmental epilepsies due to voltage-gated potassium channel mutations

OPPORTUNITY DETAILS

Total reward

0 $

State University

University of Antwerp

Area

Western Europe

Host Country

Belgium

Deadline

31 Mar 2021

Study level

Doctoral Degree

Opportunity type

Post-doctoral

Specialities

Biology

Opportunity funding

Not funding

Eligible Countries

This opportunity is destined for all countries

Eligible Region

All Regions

Department: Department of Biomedical Sciences
Regime Full-time

The University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking, European university. We offer an innovative academic education to more than 20 000 students; conduct pioneering scientific research and play an important service-providing role in society. We are one of the largest, most international, and most innovative employers in the region. With more than 6000 employees from 100 different countries, we are helping to build tomorrow's world every day. Through top scientific research, we push back boundaries and set a course for the future – a future that you can help to shape.

Postdoc position:

Disease mechanisms and therapy development for neurodevelopmental epilepsies due to voltage-gated potassium channel mutations

Position

The Weckhuysen team at the VIB-Uantwerp Center for Molecular Neurology, Belgium, is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to work on a project that uses induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neuronal cultures for the study of neurodevelopmental disorders caused by pathogenic variants in the Kv7 family of voltage gated-potassium channel genes.

Kv7-associated encephalopathies are a group of severe epilepsies with onset in the first months of life, characterized by treatment resistant seizures and developmental delay. They are caused by mutations in the genes KCNQ2, KCNQ3 or KCNQ5, encoding voltage-gated potassium channels that are responsible for the M-current. The Kv7 channels play a critical role in the regulation of neuronal excitability, but their role in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental problems, and the relative contribution of different cell types to pathology, is still poorly understood. This project is part of an international effort to improve our mechanistic understanding of Kv7-associated encephalopathies using in vitro neuronal models, and to develop more targeted therapies that have the potential to improve the developmental outcome of patients. Therapy development includes small molecule screening and exploration of antisense oligonucleotide approaches.

Job Description

In this project, you will make use of iPSC technology, cell culturing, molecular genetics, Multi-Electrode Array (MEA) electrophysiology, and advanced microscopy techniques. You will work in close collaboration with other team members working in the clinic and the wet lab. Within the team, you will be expected to work independently and drive your own research project. Your work will be embedded in a larger European collaborative project on therapy development for Kv7 related disorders.

Profile

We seek a young, critical, creative, and ambitious individual with a strong interest in neurobiology

Essential:

What we Offer

How to apply?

You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform until March 31^st , 2021. Click on the 'Apply' button, complete the online application form and be sure to include the following attachments:

For more information please contact sarah.weckhuysen@uantwerpen.vib.be

For more information about our research center https://uantwerpen.vib.be/