Postdoctoral Position, Oncogenomics, Candiolo Cancer Institute, University of Torino, Italy

Postdoctoral Position, Oncogenomics, Candiolo Cancer Institute, University of Torino, Italy

Postdoctoral position

A junior Postdoctoral Research Fellow position is available at the Candiolo Cancer Institute to identify novel therapeutic strategies for colorectal cancer. This is a one year full-time position funded by a grant from Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC, PI: Dr Claudio Isella, PhD).

The limited efficacy of targeted therapies on colorectal cancer (CRC) has been ascribed to two main factors: first, the complexity of molecular heterogeneity across tumours despite the same tissue of origin, leading to variable response in different patients; second, intratumoural heterogeneity, typically associated with worse prognosis and treatment resistance. More recently, we observed that about a quarter of CRCs is endowed with high stromal cells content and poor prognosis. To date, however, systematic exploration of potentially actionable paracrine activities occurring between stromal cells and epithelial cells in CRC is still missing.

We aim at the systematic characterization of tumour-stroma interplay in CRC, to provide a new rationale for prognostic and therapeutic stratification. To tackle this issue, we are planning to employ genomic analysis of a collection of patient-derived preclinical models of CRC, including the Institute’s archive of more than 1000 patient-derived xenografts, and over 151 CRC cell lines cultured in vitro and propagated in vivo by xenografting.

Applicants should have a PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics or cancer biology, with skills in RNAseq data processing and analysis, database interrogation, R language scripting. Previous experience in the field of cancer (computational) biology is preferable. Excellent communication skills and ability to work in team are required. The successful applicant will be involved in an international and collaborative working environment (working language: English) and will join a dynamic and multidisciplinary group at the Candiolo Cancer Institute, a renowned and fully equipped with state-of-art core facilities cancer Center in Northern Italy with strong ties with the University of Torino Medical School and many documented national and international collaborations (see for more details: www.ircc.it/irccit).

Applications should be submitted by January 10, 2019 to claudio.isella@ircc.it and should include a CV with a list of publications, reprints of at least two peer-reviewed articles, a research statement, a cover letter and contact information for at least two referees.

References

1-Isella et al, Nature Genetics 2015
2-Isella et al Nature Communication 2017 3-Isella et al, Ann of Surgery 2015
4-Bertotti et al, Cancer Discovery 2011 5-Medico et al, Nature Communication 2015 6-Isella et al, BMC bioinformatics 2011 Application deadline: 10 Nov 2018