Postdoctoral Fellows within GSK's Immunology Catalyst

Job description

Details:
Please note these PostDocs are TEMPORARY roles for up to 36 months.

Immunology Catalyst postdoctoral training programme

GSK has launched a novel research collaboration model – the Immunology Catalyst – designed to drive major breakthroughs in applied immunology and broaden scientific insight.

What is the Immunology Catalyst?
We have selected leading academic immunologists to join us at our world class R&D facility in Stevenage, UK, where they will work alongside GSK's scientists while pursuing their own independent research programmes focused on basic immunology questions. They will have access to GSK's technologies and research tools and, by connecting with our scientists, have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of drug discovery and translational research. Paul-Peter Tak, SVP immunoinflammation therapy area, GSK, is the programme sponsor. The Immunology Catalyst members are also supported by a network of leading immunologists at GSK and an external immunology board of world class immunologists including Professors Vijay Kuchroo, Jerry Nepom, Frank Nestle, Luke O'Neill, Fiona Powrie, Maria-Grazia Roncarolo, Pam Sharma, Hergen Spits.

What will the programme be like & what will I learn?
As a postdoctoral fellow in the Immunology Catalyst, you will have a world class academic immunologist as a mentor who will be focused on providing a comprehensive training programme and is expected to nurture skills that will enable you to become an independent scientific investigator.

You will have the opportunity to author publications in high-impact scientific journals while rounding out your training with a deeper understanding of translation of drug discovery & development to medicines of value for patients.

At the start of your post-doc, you'll work with your supervisor to design a programme of research with mutually agreed timelines, milestones, objectives, accountability, and duration (up to 3 years). During your time you will have access to the expertise of GSK's Immunology Network including the other academic immunologists on sabbatical, leading GSK immunologists and the external immunology board in addition to your direct supervisor. You will also have access to the extensive R&D engine including our: tools, technologies, libraries, samples, people, knowledge base, R&D events, and post-doc community events.

You will have unrivalled experience of both academic and industry settings, exposure to industry leading research, high levels of innovation, and creativity, and also develop the ability to work in an international scientific environment. This training will prepare you well for a career in academia, industry, a regulatory or non-profit healthcare organisation.

Do I have the skills?
We‘re looking for exceptional PhD scientists with a background in Immunology or a related field. Proven scientific and theoretical capability, together with high levels of innovation, creativity, and the ability to solve complex problems are required.

• An enthusiasm for demonstrating the following GSK expectations:
• Set direction & inspire: Ensuring your work supports your team's goals and the organisational priorities and applying sound judgement in all that you do
• Work across boundaries: Building trusting relationships within and beyond your team to achieve goals
• Release energy: Engaging constructively with others and demonstrating a positive mindset
• Develop capabilities: Equipping yourself with the skills and knowledge to do great work, now and in the future, and supporting others to do the same
• Drive performance: Holding yourself and others accountable for delivering quality results
• Live our values; Acting as a role model, ensuring everything you do is in line with our values, serving patients and consumers

1. The current project with Florent Ginhoux will include "mapping human tissue mononuclear phagocytes in inflamed tissues2.

Mononuclear phagocytes, that include dendritic cells (DCs), monocytes and macrophages play crucial and distinct roles in tissue homeostasis and immunity, but also contribute to a broad spectrum of pathologies and are thus attractive therapeutic targets. Potential intervention strategies aiming at manipulation of these cells will require in-depth insights of their origins and the mechanisms that govern their homeostasis as well as their specialized immune functions in steady and in inflammation. Notably, inflammation induces the recruitment and activation of monocyte-derived cells that exhibit phenotypic features of both macrophages and DC, as well as some DC precursors that will differentiate into inflammatory DC upon tissue-specific cues.

Using state of the art flow cytometry and novel markers that allow the unambiguous identification of subpopulations, we want to profile mononuclear phagocytes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Mononuclear phagocytes will also be sorted for gene expression analysis as well as epigenetic profiling. Lastly, we will profile gene expression at the single cell level of selected populations of interest.

We hypothesize that there are unique subsets of phagocytes populations, with specific function that reflect distinct underlying immuno-pathogenic mechanisms that are disease-specific. Revealing such mechanisms will reveal crucial insights in the pathophysiology of COPD.

This role will be located in Stevenage, UK working with Dr Florent Ginhoux, who is on secondment from the Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), A*STAR.

2. The project with Timothy Radstake will be focused on understanding how novel mechanisms regulate the immune system in human diseases such as primary Sjogrens disease and systemic sclerosis. Considerable preliminary data has been generated, which has unveiled aberrant epigenetic regulation in dendritic cells and monocytes obtained from these patients.

The project will unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying this epigenetic regulation using systems biology and bioinformatic approaches (RNAseq, metabolomic analysis) combined with small molecule modulation of targets and pathways. This will build on a systems biology approach performed recently aimed at the identification of causative epigenetic pathways underlying primary Sjogrens syndrome (pSS).

You will be responsible for setting up and executing an organotypic model for salivary glands to test proof of concept of such potential molecular candidates

This role will be located in Stevenage, UK working with Prof. Dr. Timothy Radstake, who on secondment from the University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands www.umcutrecht.nl/groupradstake

Please use the cover letter to indicate your preferred PostDoc, highlight how you fit the applicant profile and meet the skills and competencies for the role. Your cover letter along with your CV will be used to assess your application.

Closing date for applications: 20th April 2017

Thank you for your interest in this opportunity.

*LI-GSK

Contact information:
You may apply for this position online by selecting the Apply now button.

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Desired profile

Basic qualifications:
The basic qualifications and any foundation experience required for the roles are listed below:

Floret Ginhoux's PostDoc:
- Ph.D. degree or a M.D. /Ph.D. in Immunology or related field (microbiology, genetics, biochemistry, medicine, etc.).

Practical experience and knowledge in cell suspension preparation from human tissue and complex flow cytometry are essential

Tim Radstake's PostDoc:
Is seeking an exceptional applicant with practical and theoretical knowledge in immunology, molecular biology and high-throughput methodologies to study the epigenetic aberrances underlying the perturbed immune system in autoimmunity.

- Degree in Immunology / Molecular Biology / Biotechnology or related fields from an accredited college or university.
- PhD in Immunology and/ or Molecular biology or related fields.
- Deep knowledge of setting up, optimizing and the execution of organotypic (complex in vitro) models for Proof of Concept (PoC) studies.
- Capability to plan and execute experimental models (mice / rat) for PoC.
- Knowledge of statistics
- Excellent communication and organizational skills

You must have practical and theoretical knowledge in immunology, molecular biology and its application to designing organotypic (complex in vitro) models mimicking diseases tissues for proof of concept studies. Candidates should be interested in team-oriented research and have a proven experience implementing knowledge derived from molecular biology to better understand pathogenic molecular mechanisms and identify key therapeutic targets for precision medicine. If you are an independent, creative, innovative and well-organized person with excellent cooperative skills you will relish this opportunity

For both PostDoc roles you must also have the ability to understand, interpret, and communicate complex scientific data; be comfortable conversing with opinion leaders regarding highly technical information; a self-starter able to handle multiple projects concurrently; possess a good balance of creative, analytical and strong communication skills; ability to be productive and successful in an intense work environment and a Team Player.

Preferred qualifications:
For Tim Radstake's project the below skills are preferred:
- Experience with cell and molecular biology, protein biochemistry, cell biology or flow cytometry.
- Immunology background
- Skills/experience in analyzing high-throughput data
- Skills/experience in the use of tools for the biological interpretation of high-throughput data, as pathways/Go-term enrichment.