PhD student within neural cell therapy

Description of the workplace

The research group Neural Stem Cells conducts research on iPSC derived novel cell-based therapies for diseases and injuries of the CNS. We use reprogramming, iPS cells and neural differentiation to create establish and expand neuroepithelial stem cells as a product for cell therapy of spinal cord injury and stroke. The group is international and includes employees in research, administration and technology and is led by Professor Anna Falk. Linked to the group is the preGMP facility, an infrastructure for process and assay development and clinical translation of cell and gene therapy led by Dr Sara Nolbrant. As a workplace, we safeguard a good work environment with respect and consideration in our relationships with each other. The group is located at the Biomedical Center in Lund. Read more about our research Here and here 

We offer

Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme.

Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee Work at Lund University

Work duties and areas of responsibility

As a PhD student in iPS cell therapies in our research group, you are responsible for designing and producing data, analyzing the results and reporting on scientific projects (in writing and orally) - in collaboration with the research group leader and members of the group. Your duties mainly include establishment, culture, characterization, differentiation and studies of iPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) and the downstream development and quality testing of the cell therapy product neuroepithelial stem (NES) cells, which also includes administrative work and collaboration with other disciplines. You will use cell and molecular biology methods and bioinformatics methods advanced cell culture, RT-PCR, immunostaining, microscopy, flow cytometry, analysis of single cell and bulk omics sequencing data as well as mathematic modeling. Other existing tasks within the research group may also be relevant, such as involvement in other projects in the research group, administration, conference travel, presentations of research and supervision of students. As a PhD student with focus on iPS cell therapies, you will be involved in building, working and developing this field in Sweden.

Qualifications

Requirements for employment are:

• Completed undergraduate studies in stem cell biology, neurobiology, molecular biology or equivalent
• Documented experience in culturing human iPS cells
• Experience of neural differentiation of human iPS cells
• Documented experience in culturing neural stem cells
• Experience in process development of cell therapy
• Experience of standardization of methods and cells
• Ability to plan and use molecular methods such as flow cytometry, immunostaining and imaging, statistical methods like Design of Experiment
• Scientific skills to plan and analyze experiments
• Skills to function well in collaborative projects both within the group and with other research groups as well as with other disciplines
• Positive attitude, hard work and a drive to succeed
• Documented experience of presenting research in speech and writing
• Personal qualities as structured, accurate and persistent

The following experience is of further merit:
• Translational work and innovation
• Development of algorithms
• Administrative tasks
• Work within a preGMP environment
• Quality work
• Interdisciplinary collaborations
• Good ability to supervise students
• Good knowledge of the Swedish language

How to apply

Applications are to be submitted via the University’s recruitment system. The application is to include a personal letter justifying your interest in the position and how it matches your qualifications. The application is to also include a CV, degree certificates or equivalent and any other document to which you would like to draw attention (copies of grade transcripts, details of referees, letters of recommendation, etc.)

Eligibility
Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who- have completed a second-cycle degree- have completed courses of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses, or- have acquired largely equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment to a doctoral studentship is made, the ability of the student to benefit from PhD-studies shall primarily be taken into account. In addition to devoting themselves to their studies, those appointed to doctoral studentships may be required to work with educational tasks, research and administration, in accordance with specific regulations in the ordinance.

Type of employment
Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.