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 29 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 500 members and 45 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 an enthusiastic, motivated and ambitious Postdoctoral fellow to join the Colorectal Cancer Laboratory (led by Dr. Eduard Batlle) at the Cancer Science Programme. The Batlle Lab at IRB Barcelona is an international reference for the study of colorectal cancer (CRC). Their pioneering studies have contributed to advance the state of the art in several important areas such as the connection between stem cells and cancer, the role of the tumor microenvironment in poor prognosis CRC and the identification of mechanisms of metastasis and immune evasion. Further information can be found at: https://www.irbbarcelona.org/en/research/colorectal-cancer-laboratory#eduard-batlle and https://www.icrea.cat/Web/ScientificStaff/eduard-batlle-gomez-302

The successful candidate will develop an exciting project aiming to understand immune-evasion mechanisms in metastatic CRC. Our laboratory generated the first mouse models for metastatic CRC in a fully immunocompetent context and described a key role for TGF-beta signaling in immune evasion (Tauriello et al. Nature. 2018; Cañellas-Socias et al. Nature. 2022). We are now interested in understanding how immune cells are reprogrammed in the metastatic tumor microenvironment over time. The project will be in close collaboration with the laboratories of Ido Amit (Weizmann Institute) and Holger Heyn (CNAG) and will apply state of the art technologies to track in vivo immune cell dynamics at a single-cell level.

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS:

Must Have – Required: 

• Experience: 
  • Doctoral degree in Life Sciences (Biology, Biotechnology, Biomedicine, or a related field). Applicants who have not completed a doctorate at the end of the application period may also apply, provided that all requirements for a completed degree are met before the (intended) date of employment.
  • Official Accreditation to perform Animal Experimentation.
• Knowledge & Skills:
  • Strong background in Tumour Immunology.
  • Verified skills in cell culture and Molecular Biology.
  • Good knowledge of Antibody-based tissue analyses, including FACS analyses of tumor cell populations and analysis of imaging data.
  • Verified skills in In vivo experiments.
  • Fluent in English.
    
• Competences:
  • Self-Motivated.
  • Good communication skills, both for oral presentations as well as for scientific writing.
  • High organization capacity.
  • Ability to interact effectively and work within a team.
  • Good analytical and problem-solving skills.
    

Desirable:

• Experience:
  • Organoid Culturing.
  • At least one (first-author) research paper during your PhD.
  • Proven experience in immunology.
    
    
• Knowledge:
  • Candidates with experience with big data analyses, and coding with R and/or Python will be prioritized.

WORKING CONDITIONS & ENTITLEMENTS:

• Working conditions: 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.
• 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.
• Estimated annual gross salary: Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• 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: 31/12/2024 (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.