Created in 2005 by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia) and the University of Barcelona, IRB Barcelona is a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence—a seal that was awarded in 2011.

The institute is devoted to conducting research of excellence in biomedicine and to transferring results to clinical practice, thus improving people’s quality of life, while simultaneously promoting the training of outstanding researchers, technology transfer, and public communication of science. Its 28 laboratories and seven core facilities address basic questions in biology and are orientated to diseases such as cancer, metastasis, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and rare conditions.

IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 members and 30 nationalities. It is located in the Barcelona Science Park. IRB Barcelona forms part of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) and the “Xarxa de Centres de Recerca de Catalunya” (CERCA).

IRB Barcelona is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow for the Complex Metabolic Diseases and Mitochondria research group, with sufficient experience in biomedical research in the area of mitochondrial function. The researcher will work primarily with cellular and murine models of disease, especially in preclinical studies. Experience in handling human cells in primary culture and immortalization techniques will be taken into account.

The contract will be within the framework of the “Generation of therapies and biomarkers for the treatment of mitochondrial dysfunctiondriven neurodegenerative diseases” (DRUG4-COXPD1) project prioritized by the IBEC under the “Plan Complementario de Biotecnología aplicada a la Salud” (biotechnology applied to health).

This Plan Complementario is co-financed by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and the Generalitat de Catalunya, with funds from the European Union NextGenerationEU (PRTR-C17.I1).

DUTIES: 

• Fibroblasts in culture, and cellular immortalization.

• Phenotypic characterization of cells in culture and analysis of the response to mitochondrial stress.

• Other tasks related to the “screening” of molecules through the use of human cells.

• Execution of pharmacological therapy application experiments in animal models.

• Other research tasks derived from the results and evolution of their research.

• Contribution to shared general management tasks of the laboratory and the research group.

• Preparation of manuscripts and presentation of results in national and international scientific meetings.

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS:

Must Have – Required

• PhD in a discipline in the area of biomedicine (biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, biomedicine, chemistry, or similar).
• Competencies and skills: Communication, Teamwork and collaboration, Commitment, Proactivity, Integrity, Critical and Analytical thinking
• High level of English

Desirable

• Extensive experience in cell culture and immortalization.
• Accreditation and experience to be able to work with experimental animals.
• Knowledge and experience in evaluating mitochondrial function.
• Knowledge and experience in general methods of molecular biology (quantitative PCR, sequencing techniques, western blot, etc.).
• Experience in international teams.

WORKING CONDITIONS & ENTITLEMENTS:

• Working conditions: Full time 18-month contract. Employed in compliance with Spanish legislation and regulations under a full-time contract. Employees receive the benefits of the Spanish Social Security system covering sickness, maternity/paternity leaves and injuries at work.
• Starting date: Between 1st of April and the 16th of June 2023
• Training and Career: Postdoctoral researchers joining IRB Barcelona gain access to the Institute’s advanced research training and career development opportunities, all within in a competitive international environment. Courses and workshops on themes of particular interest to postdocs are offered regularly by the Institute.
• International environment: Nearly 90 Postdoctoral researchers (more than a half non-Spanish nationals) are currently working at IRB Barcelona.

HOW TO APPLY & SELECTION PROCESS:

• Deadline for applications: 19/01/2023 (If no suitable candidate is found, the deadline will be extended) 
• Number of positions available: 1
• Selection process:
  • Pre-selection: Will be based on CV, motivation letter & experience. 
  • Interviews: Short-listed candidates will be interviewed.
  • Job offer: Will be sent to the successful candidate after the interview. 

Note: The strengths and weaknesses of the applications will be provided upon request.