The laboratory of Elena Cattaneo (www.cattaneolab.it) at the University of Milan has been studying Huntington’s disease (HD), a rare genetic and neurodegenerative disorder, for more than 30 years. Our research aims to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying HD pathophysiology and to develop pharmacological, genetic, and cellular strategies to slow disease progression or prevent its onset. HD is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene, which ultimately leads to the progressive dysfunction and death of striatal and cortical neurons. These projects generate a broad range of high-dimensional datasets, including single-nucleus and bulk RNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, amplicon sequencing, and proteomics. We use both short-read (Illumina) and long-read (Oxford Nanopore Technologies) sequencing technologies, creating opportunities for the development and application of computational approaches for data analysis, integration, and biological interpretation.

The lab is looking for a highly motivated candidate with a genuine interest in bioinformatics and computational biology to join our team. The selected candidate will work at the interface between computational and experimental biology, contributing to data analysis and multi-omic integration across multiple ongoing projects. The position offers the opportunity to work with diverse sequencing technologies and datasets while interacting closely with researchers with complementary expertise.

The candidate should be comfortable working in a multidisciplinary environment and communicating with researchers from non-computational backgrounds.

Required Expertise:
• A Master’s degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Bioengineering, or a related field
• Experience with scripting languages such as R, Python, and Bash
• Experience working in High-Performance Computing (HPC) cluster
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team
• Good communication skills
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Knowledge of neurobiology is a plus Salary will be commensurate with qualification and experience.

Prospective candidates interested in learning more about the project and the position are welcome to contact: cattaneooffice@unimi.it