Postdoctoral Fellow – Hill lab

The Francis Crick Institute; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a pioneering research institute as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Developmental Signalling Laboratory. This role offers the chance to lead innovative projects focusing on embryonic stem cells and their differentiation into tissue types. Collaborate with a dynamic team and utilize cutting-edge techniques like CRISPR screening and live imaging. Contribute to groundbreaking research that aims to uncover mechanisms driving lineage specification in human development. This is an exceptional opportunity to advance your career in a collaborative environment that values creativity and independent thinking.

Qualifications

• PhD in relevant biological sciences required.
• Proven expertise with embryonic stem cells and live imaging.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects and mentor PhD students.
• Collaborate and contribute to team research efforts.

Skills

Embryonic Stem Cells

Live Imaging

Molecular Biology

Organizational Skills

Collaboration

Education

PhD in Biological Sciences

Tools

CRISPR Screening

scRNA-seq

scATAC-seq

Job description

Postdoctoral Fellow – Hill lab

Reporting to: Caroline Hill, Head of Developmental Signalling Laboratory

Contact term: This is a full-time, fixed-term [4 years] position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

About Us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose, and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions.

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation, and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions, and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to collaborate and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

The Research Group

The Developmental Signalling Laboratory, headed by Caroline Hill, focuses on cell signalling in early vertebrate development and disease. Their work seeks to understand how TGF-β family signalling pathways function normally in early vertebrate development and in adult untransformed cells, and how these pathways are perturbed in disease, particularly in cancer and Marfan-related syndromes. The lab combines early vertebrate developmental systems (zebrafish embryos) with various model tissue culture systems (human and mouse ES cell/iPS cell models) and mouse cancer models, employing methodologies such as developmental and cell biology, cancer biology, next-generation sequencing, and computational modelling. The group encourages creative and independent thinking and promotes excellent training and mentoring. Currently, the group comprises ten members—five postdocs, two PhD students, a clinical fellow, a master’s student, and a senior laboratory research scientist.

Recent publications include:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37714159/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36473458/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34737283/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34003511/

The Project

Recent work has shown that mesoderm and endoderm specification in zebrafish embryos involves the interplay of Nodal and Fgf/Erk signalling pathways. Sustained Nodal signalling provides a competency window for progenitors to switch to an endodermal fate, a process that appears stochastic and is inhibited by Fgf/Erk signalling. Cells that do not switch differentiate into mesoderm. The hypothesis is that short Erk inactivity windows govern fate switching, occurring during mitosis via a process termed mitotic erasure.

The project aims to determine whether a similar mechanism controls mesoderm and definitive endoderm fate decisions in humans, using human embryonic stem cells differentiated into 2D and 3D gastruloids. Techniques include multiplexing Erk biosensors with live cell fate reporters, multiomics scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq, and whole genome CRISPR screening to uncover mechanisms driving lineage specification.

Postdoctoral Fellows will lead their own projects, contribute collaboratively, and may mentor PhD students. Teamwork skills are essential.

Key experience and competencies

The candidate should embody Crick values: Bold, Imaginative, Open, Dynamic, Collegial.

Essential:

• PhD in relevant biological sciences
• Proven expertise with embryonic stem cells
• Experience differentiating embryonic stem cells into tissue types as 2D and 3D gastruloids
• Advanced live imaging skills
• Molecular biology expertise
• Strong publication record or submitted manuscripts
• Experience presenting at scientific meetings
• Excellent organizational skills and record-keeping
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively

Desirable:

• Experience with ‘omics techniques and bioinformatics
• Background in signal transduction research