Senior Researcher in Human-Based Cell Models for Genetic Parkinson’s Disease

Institute for Biomedicine – Eurac Research; Bolzano; Vor Ort; EUR 50.000 - 52.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Welfare package

International environment

Collaboration with Charité

Modern facilities at NOI Techpark

Zusammenfassung

Institute for Biomedicine – Eurac Research in Bolzano is seeking a lead scientist to drive biology workstreams for the PROTEO-NAM-PD project, developing hiPSC-derived organoids and NAMs to model GBA1-associated Parkinson’s disease.

You will coordinate experiments with Eurac Research and Charité, implement robust workflows, mentor staff, and contribute to publications and future funding while collaborating in an international environment.

Qualifikationen

• PhD in cell biology, neuroscience, or related discipline with 3–6 years of postdoc experience.
• Hands-on experience with advanced human cell model systems, including brain organoids or related NAMs.
• Experience in developing and applying complex in vitro models for neuroscience or translational disease research.
• Experience with phenotypic readouts such as imaging, electrophysiology, and molecular profiling.
• Strong understanding of assay reproducibility and workflow standardisation.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary international environment and communicate in English.

Aufgaben

• Lead development and application of hiPSC-derived midbrain organoids and NAMs for GBA1-PD.
• Design workflows to characterise disease mechanisms and responses using imaging, electrophysiology, and molecular readouts.
• Establish robust organoid generation and QC workflows with standardisation.
• Benchmark organoid NAMs against reference tissues to assess translational value.
• Collaborate with bioinformatics, proteomics and clinical partners to interpret multi-omic data.
• Support quality frameworks and contribute to publications and funding applications.
• Supervise junior staff and coordinate activities across groups.

Kenntnisse

hiPSC-derived organoids

Electrophysiology & imaging

Experimental workflow design

Team collaboration

English proficiency

Ausbildung

PhD in cell biology, neuroscience, or related field

Tools

CRISPR/Cas9 editing

High-content imaging

Proteomics & lipidomics

Jobbeschreibung

Institute for Biomedicine

The Institute for Biomedicine, located at Bolzano’s NOI Techpark, is part of Eurac Research and advances precision health by linking human data, biobanks, and advanced biological model systems. Within the PROTEO-NAM-PD project, conducted jointly with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Prof. Dr. Frank Heppner, Department of Neuropathology and Prof. Dr. Markus Ralser, Biochemistry and Systems Biology of Metabolism Group), we are establishing a human-based discovery platform for GBA1-associated Parkinson’s disease that combines brain organoid and microphysiological New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) with deep proteomics, lipidomics, high-content imaging, and electrophysiology. The successful candidate will take a leading role in the biology workstream of this project, driving the development, application, and validation of human advanced cell models and contributing to the translation of disease signatures into experimentally testable therapeutic strategies in close collaboration with partners in Bolzano and Berlin.

Tasks:

• Lead the development, optimisation, and application of hiPSC-derived midbrain organoids and related microphysiological systems as human-relevant NAMs for GBA1-associated Parkinson’s disease.
• Design and oversee experimental workflows to characterise disease mechanisms and compound responses using molecular and phenotypic readouts, including high-content imaging, electrophysiology, and complementary cell-biological assays, in close interaction with teams at Eurac Research and Charité.
• Establish robust and reproducible workflows for organoid generation, handling, quality control, and phenotypic assessment, with strong attention to standardisation, documentation, and translational relevance.
• Contribute to benchmarking organoid-based NAMs against stratified human brain tissue and other reference materials in order to assess reproducibility, biological relevance, and translational value.
• Collaborate closely with bioinformatics, proteomics, and clinical partners to interpret multi-omic and functional signatures, refine hypotheses, and prioritise targets or interventions for further validation.
• Support the implementation of workflows and quality frameworks that strengthen the scientific credibility and broader usability of NAMs, including aspects relevant to reproducibility and future regulatory uptake.
• Provide scientific guidance within the biology work package, contribute to coordination across collaborating groups, and help align experimental activities with overall project objectives and timelines.
• Supervise junior researchers, students, and technical staff where applicable, and contribute to dissemination through scientific publications, conference presentations, and follow-on funding applications.

Requirements:

• PhD in cell biology, developmental biology, neuroscience, bioengineering, toxicology, or a closely related discipline, with between 3-6 years of relevant postdoctoral experience following the awarding of the PhD.
• Strong hands-on expertise in advanced human cell model systems, ideally including brain organoids, other neural 3D culture systems, hiPSC-derived models, or related microphysiological platforms, with clear evidence of independent experimental work and troubleshooting capacity.
• Demonstrated experience in developing, characterising, and applying complex in vitro human model systems for biomedical research, preferably in neuroscience, neurodegeneration, toxicology, or translational disease modelling.
• Experience with phenotypic and mechanistic readouts relevant to complex human models, such as advanced microscopy or high-content imaging, functional assays, electrophysiology, and/or molecular profiling approaches.
• Strong understanding of experimental quality control, assay reproducibility, and workflow standardisation, including the ability to establish and document robust procedures across complex biological systems.
• Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary and international environment, engaging with cell biologists, clinicians, proteomics and lipidomics experts, and computational scientists.
• Demonstrated scientific output in peer-reviewed journals and the capacity to contribute intellectually to project development, collaborative research planning, and funding activities.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Desirable qualifications:

• Expertise in Parkinson’s disease biology, lysosomal dysfunction, lipid metabolism, mitochondrial biology, or related neurodegenerative disease mechanisms.
• Experience with organoid-based or other NAM-focused workflows in a translational, safety, or preclinical discovery context, including awareness of the evolving regulatory landscape around NAMs.
• Experience modifying genetic background of iPS cells with CRiSPR/Cas9 editing systems.
• Experience in integrating biological findings with proteomics, lipidomics, transcriptomics, or other multi-omic datasets to support mechanistic interpretation and candidate prioritisation.
• Experience in mentoring or supervising junior staff and in coordinating activities across collaborative projects.

We offer:

• Up to three-year full-time position.
• Gross annual salary ranging from 49.773,36 € to 52.423,77 €.
• Workplace location: Eurac Research, NOI Techpark, Via A. Volta 21, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
• Benefits and work-life balance: Eurac Research offers a welfare package designed to support employees’ well-being and work-life balance, contributing to a positive and inclusive working experience in an international research environment. The full and regularly updated list of benefits is available here.
• The opportunity to contribute to a flagship collaboration between the Institute for Biomedicine (Eurac Research, Bolzano) and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, at the interface of human-based NAMs, multi-omics, and precision medicine in Parkinson’s disease.
• A dynamic international and interdisciplinary research environment within the biomedical innovation ecosystem at NOI Techpark and the wider Bolzano–Berlin collaboration.
• Access to state-of-the-art infrastructure for stem cell culture, organoid models, advanced imaging, genome engineering, and multi-omics, as well as deeply phenotyped human samples and data.
• Opportunities to shape an emerging research platform, contribute to future project development, and strengthen a strategic translational axis between Bolzano and Berlin.
• Close collaboration and regular interactions with partners at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

Employment conditions:

• Employment classification and applicable collective agreement: II level of the Italian National Collective Labour Agreement for the Tertiary/Commerce Sector
• Gross Annual Salary range: the gross annual salary range is primarily linked to the advertised position, its requirements and expected level, and is defined according to Eurac Research’s internal remuneration framework. The candidate’s highest academic degree and any relevant professional experience documented in the CV are taken into account where applicable, but always within the salary range defined for the advertised position. The range also reflects whether the position is full-time or part-time.

30.11.2026.

For further information please contact:
Irene Pichler: [e-mail]
Andrew Hicks: [e-mail]