Postdoc in the Laboratory of Stem Cells, Tissue Development and Regeneration

Field: Biology

Results of the competition:

As part of the conducted procedure, the Competition Committee recommended the candidacy of Dr Anna Płatek for the post of Postdoctoral Researcher.



Description:

Laboratory of Stem Cells, Tissue Development and Regeneration at the Centre of New Technologies (University of Warsaw), headed by dr. Krzysztof Kobielak, invites applications for a postdoctoral position. A position is funded by the National Science Centre within Opus grant “Hair follicle stem cells regulation during hair cyclic regeneration”.

The project:
The main goal of the project is investigate the behavior of hair follicle stem cells (hfSCs) during stem cells (SCs) quiescence and activation. Our long term objective is to understand how this regenerative hair cycling behavior is regulated at the molecular level, and to apply this knowledge toward regenerative medicine. We have previously shown that inhibition of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling resulted in the precocious activation of quiescent hfSCs. Recently my laboratory discovered a new, previously unreported mechanism of hfSCs regulation where a competitive balance of BMP/WNT signaling occurs intrinsically in the hfSCs population. We found that hfSCs with suppressed BMP signaling display profound altered expression in the BMP pathway itself and Wnt pathway. However, precisely how BMP/WNT signaling integrates different activators and inhibitors to achieve a molecular network capable of cyclic activation of hfSCs is still unveiling. We hypothesize that there is a constant competition between activator and inhibitor activities in hfSC populations which is critical for maintenance of hfSC homeostasis.

There is great interest in understanding very basic processes that are important for adult stem cells regulation, as these cells are crucial for physiological tissue renewal throughout life. Adult SCs are not only able to produce cells/progenies that participate in adult tissue renewal during normal tissue maintenance, but they can also regenerate tissues after injury. Moreover, precise regulation of adult SC homeostasis is very critical, since deregulation of normal stem cell self-renewal may result in cancer formation. Thus, understanding adult SC regulators which tightly govern the intricate balance of signaling pathways which either activate or inhibit SC homeostasis is a very important question in regenerative medicine. In the proposed research, we would like to understand the molecular mechanism of BMP and WNT signaling in SC regulation using hfSCs as a model system. Currently, my laboratory shed light on how a competitive balance of BMP/WNT signaling regulate hfSCs but there is a gap in our scientific knowledge regarding how BMP/WNT signaling integrate the regulation of different molecular networks in hfSCs during hair cycle. This is an important basic science question in SC biology, since we and other groups have shown that BMP/WNT signaling are key regulators of SC homeostasis in different adult systems. Thus, further understanding the molecular mechanisms through which BMP/WNT signals in hfSCs might be highly instructive to comprehend the general mechanisms that underlie SC homeostasis and how the different SCs determine tissue-specific regeneration as well as cancer formation. This insight might be very useful in translating these basic discoveries to novel forms of SC therapy with applications for human diseases as cutaneous wound healing, androgenetic alopecia or burn alopecia. As BMP/WNT signaling has a key regulatory role in maintaining different types of adult SC homeostasis, the implication for future therapy might be potentially much broader and not limited to skin regeneration, alopecia and skin cancer.

Qualifications:
• Ph.D. in Biology,
• Good knowledge of English,
• Knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, PowerPoint
• Team work skills,
• Experience in laboratory work (gel electrophoresis, PCR, RT-PCR, q-PCR, DNA/RNA/Protein extraction/purification, DNA clonnig, western blot, cryo- and parraffin- sectionings, cell culture, FACS sorting, immunofluorescent /immunoisochemistry staining, in situ hybridization, mouse breeding/numbering/genotyping, some basic mouse surgeries, microscope techniques)

 

The application should include:

•       Curriculum Vitae (CV)

•       Cover letter, describing Candidate motivation

•       PhD certificate

•       One or more letters of recommendation from a scientist who is familiar with the Candidate (submitted directly to email address below)

•       Information on scientific publications, scholarships, prizes and awards or other relevant documents demonstrating the excellence of Candidate

•       A list of attended conferences with titles and authors of presentations

•       A personal data processing agreement clause:

I hereby consent to have my personal data processed by the University of Warsaw with its registered office at ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00-927 Warszawa for the purpose of carrying out a recruitment process and selecting an employee and concluding a contract for employment at the University of Warsaw.

I have been informed of my rights and duties. I understand that provision of my personal data is voluntary.

 

Employment conditions:
The employment as full-time postdoctoral assistant with monthly salary approximately 4500 PLN (brutto). The initial appointment is one-year with possibility of renewal. The appointment should start between August and October 2018.

Contact:
Please apply to: k.kobielak@cent.uw.edu.pl (entitle your email “A POSTDOC POSITION”).

Deadline for applications: July 15th, 2018

 

Information Clause

Pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation), University of Warsaw hereby informs:

1.    The Controller of your personal data is the University of Warsaw with its registered office at Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00-927 Warszawa;

2.    The Controller has designated the Data Protection Officer who supervises the processing of personal data, and who can be contacted via the following e-mail address: iod@adm.uw.edu.pl;

3.    Your personal data will be processed for the purpose of carrying out a recruitment process and selecting an employee and concluding a contract for employment at the University of Warsaw;

4.    The provided data will be processed pursuant to Article 221 § 1 of the Act of 26 June 1974 Labor Code (uniformed text: Dz.U. of 2018, item 917) and your consent for processing of personal data;

5.    Provision of data in the scope stipulated in the Labor Code is mandatory, and the remaining data are processed according to your consent for processing of personal data;

6.    The data will not be shared with any external entities;

7.    The data will be stored until you withdraw your consent for processing of personal data;

8.    You have the right to access your personal data, to rectify, erase them, restrict their processing, object to processing, and to withdraw the consent at any time;

9.    You have the right to lodge a complaint to the President of the Office for the Protection of Personal Data.



Deadline: 15/07/2018

Attachment: download

Tags: Biology, stem cells, tissue development