Postdoc - Gene Regulation in Hematopoiesis

Open-ended linked to the project duration

Organisation / Company Centre for Genomic Regulation Research Field Biological sciences » Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions PhD Positions Country Spain Application Deadline 15 Jun 2025 - 23 : 59 (Europe / Madrid) Type of Contract Other Type of Contract Extra Information Open-ended linked to the project duration Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 38.5 Offer Starting Date 15 Jul 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The Institute

The Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) is an international biomedical research institute of excellence, based in Barcelona, Spain, with more than 400 scientists from 44 countries. The CRG is composed by an interdisciplinary, motivated and creative scientific team which is supported both by a flexible and efficient administration and by high-end and innovative technologies.

The Single Cell and Synthetic Genomics of Blood Formation lab (PI : Lars Velten) at CRG Barcelona is looking for a motivated computational or mixed computational – experimental postdoc to use synthetic enhancers, CRISPR screening and computational approaches to unravel the logic of gene regulation in blood stem cell differentiation.

Blood formation is an essential, biomedically highly relevant, and complex process of cellular differentiation. Our group studies adult hematopoiesis using computational biology, single cell genomics ( Velten et al., 2017 , Beneyto-Calabuig et al., 2023 , Scherer et al., biorxiv ), and genetic screens. In the past four years, we have established a research line using fully synthetic DNA constructs to understand how hematopoietic stem cells transform continuous transcription factor gradients into cell state specific gene expression patterns, and to engineer artificial, cell state specific hematopoietic enhancers from scratch using AI ( Frömel et al., Cell 2025 , covered in El País and El Mundo ).

For this work, we screened the cell-state specific activity of 10,000s of synthetic enhancers in a primary cell model of hematopoietic differentiation. We can now use this system alone or in combination with CRISPR perturbations of transcriptional regulators, using bulk and single cell readouts. Our experimental approach thereby allows us to maintain strong control over the cis- and trans- gene regulatory environment. The successful candidate will be supported in developing and ideating an independent project to capitalize on the tools set up in the group.

One possible project is the engineering of genotype-specific enhancers in the context of clonal hematopoiesis models. Clonal hematopoiesis is an important first step in the development of blood cancers. The goal of the project would be to better understand the gene regulatory environment in these cells and develop capabilities to create clone-specific enhancers.

In your new role, you would

• Develop a project on gene regulation in the blood forming system
• Analyze data from synthetic enhancer MPRA screens and / or dual MPRA-CRISPR screens
• If relevant and of interest, harness deep learning to interpret these data
• Design experiments using these technologies, and collaborate with an experienced technician to implement these experiments
• Interact closely with both wetlab and computational scientists from the group
• Serve as senior member of the team and, down the road, co-supervisor of PhD students or technical staff

About the team

The Velten lab is an interdisciplinary group that investigates the biology of hematopoietic stem cells using a combination of single cell genomics, genetic screens, and computational biology. We strive to develop novel genomic and bioinformatic tools to answer longstanding questions in the field. We cover two main research lines, a) Gene regulation in healthy hematopoiesis) and b) Clonal function in ageing and disease. The lab has been established in January 2020 and currently consists of six members : Three PhD students, one postdoc and two senior technicians. We have received funding from the European Commission, the Spanish and German government, the Spanish Association Against Cancer and the European Hematology Association.

Whom would we like to hire?

Professional experience

Must Have

• You hold a PhD in a relevant field (computational biology, genomics, molecular biology, stem cell biology, bioinformatics, biotechnology etc.)
• Strong interest in the biology of gene regulation and cellular differentiation
• You have demonstrated your ability to lead a challenging research project
• You have published at least one primary research paper during your PhD
• You have strong experience in the analysis of non-standard genomics data (e.g. MPRA, Perturb-Seq, CRISPR screens, Nanopore, custom RNA-seq protocols etc.)
• Experience in both exploratory and formal data analysis
• You have strong programming skills in R or python

Desirable but not required / Nice to have

• You have, in addition to your computational training, training in experimental work (e.g. cell culture, flow cytometry, cloning, library preparation etc.)
• A strong foundation in machine learning and statistic
• You have experience with deep learning environments such as tensorflow and pytorch

Education and training

• A PhD in a relevant field ( computational biology, genomics, molecular biology, stem cell biology, bioinformatics, biotechnology etc.)

Languages

• You are proficient in English

Technical skills

• R and python

Competences

• Success-driven
• Strong academic writing skills
• Ability to work as part of a team

The Offer – Working Conditions

• Contract duration : Technical and scientific activities contract linked to the project duration (estimated 2 years).
• Estimated annual gross salary : Salary is commensurate with qualifications and consistent with our pay scales.
• Target start date : 15 July 2025.

We provide a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructures, and unique professional career development opportunities. To check out our training and development portfolio, please visit our website in the training section .

We offer and promote a diverse and inclusive environment and welcomes applicants regardless of age, disability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.

The CRG is committed to reconcile a work and family life of its employees and are offering extended vacation period and the possibility to benefit from flexible working hours.

Application Procedure

All applications must include :

• A motivation letter addressed to Dr Lars Velten.
• Pre-selection : The pre-selection process will be based on qualifications and expertise reflected on the candidates CVS. It will be merit-based.
• Interview : Preselected candidates will be interviewed by the Hiring Manager of the position and a selection panel if required.
• Offer Letter : Once the successful candidate is identified the People department will send a Job Offer, specifying the start day, salary, working conditions, among other important details.

Deadline : Please submit your application by 15 / 06 / 2025

Suggestions : The CRG believes in ongoing improvement and promotes a culture of feedback. This is one of the reasons we have in place, at your disposal as a candidate, a mechanism to gather your suggestions / complaints concerning your candidate experience in our recruitment processes. Your feedback really matters to us in our aim at creating a positive candidate journey. You can make a difference and help us improve by letting us know your suggestions through the following form.

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