PhD position (f/m/d) in Pediatric Cancer Initiation

Are you looking for a PhD project that will combine the cutting-edge human stem cells models, stem cell engineering and multi-omic approaches?
In our group we have all of this and even more and  we apply it to the burning questions of pediatric cancer oncology!
Here is your chance to contribute to science that makes a difference!

Polina Kameneva just established her research group at the St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute (St. Anna CCRI) and currently recruits 2 PhD students interested in research on the intersection of developmental biology and cancer initiation for new projects funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) START grant and private foundation Paradifference.

There are several research projects that aim to investigate the onset of cancer transformation using the human stem cell models engineered to control the acquisition of mutational hits. The lab aims to engineer the cells for mutation initiation and with such tools to uncover what are the very early transformation of the gene regulatory networks in developing cells which reroute them for the normal differentiation path and turn them into the first cancer cells. The group aims to find and characterize the oncogenically vulnerable and resistant cellular states and look for ways to reduce the risk of pediatric cancer initiation.

Polina Kameneva has a strong background in the developmental biology of peripheral nervous systems and adrenal glands (Kameneva, Artemov et al., Nat.Genet, 2021; Kameneva, Artemov et al., Cancer Cell, 2021; Kameneva, Melnikova et al., Nat.Com, 2022). With this, the initial focus of the projects is going to be on the adrenal gland associated malignancies: pediatric neuroblastoma, and rare pediatric and adolescence tumors pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

Find more information about:

Polina’s research interests  https://ccri.at/research-group/kameneva-group/

and Polina herself https://journals.biologists.com/dev/article/150/17/dev202261/326596/Pathway-to-Independence-an-interview-with-Polina
FWF start project: https://scilog.fwf.ac.at/en/magazine/how-a-mutation-becomes-cancer

As a PhD Student, you will

• work on ambitious interdisciplinary research projects on modelling pediatric tumor intiation with human stem cell models
• contribute from the start, including planning of experiments, data acquisition, analysis, and presentation of results
• provide thorough and creative thinking that makes these projects a success
• monitor the literature and community resources to keep abreast of latest developments and to identify information, data, and methods to integrate in your own work
• present your research at local seminars and international conferences, write papers, apply for fellowships, and contribute to grants

Your profile

What you bring for this position:

• Master’s degree in a relevant subject (e.g molecular biology, cancer, genetics, developmental biology)
• Excellent technical skills: cell culture, human pluripotent stem cells is a plus, molecular biology (gene editing/CRISPR is a plus), immunofluorescence, confocal imaging, image analysis, FACS, familiar with single cell omics and related computational skills is a plus)
• Motivation to pursue an ambitious research agenda
• Enthusiasm, determination, creativity, scientific curiosity and desire to learn
• Ability to work in a team and individually, committed to success of the project with proactive problem-solving attitude
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English (German not required)

Our offer

Does this sound interesting? This is our offer to you:

• An exciting, multi-disciplinary environment with a strong support for your personal and professional development from your supervisor, team, and peers
• An outstanding working atmosphere in young and dynamic team
• Access to state-of-the-art infrastructure
• Flexible working hours, discounted lunch and other great benefits
• Great location in the center of Vienna. Vienna ranks as the most livable city multiple years in a row with attractive prices for accommodation, transport, food, and excellent and diverse recreational options.
• An attractive salary package according to the Austrian Science Fund FWF (https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/funding/steps-to-your-fwf-project/further-information/personnel-costs)

Who we are

The St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute (St. Anna CCRI), located in the center of Vienna, the most livable city in the world and one of the most important sites for biomedical research in Europe. St. Anna CCRI is a multidisciplinary and internationally networked center of excellence whose goal is to contribute to a sustainable improvement in the cure rates of childhood and adolescent cancers through innovative research and development. Due to the close cooperation between clinic and research, St. Anna CCRI offers the ideal environment for cutting-edge research at a high international level and its implementation in clinical practice. and its translation into clinical practice.

St. Anna CCRI is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to providing a work environment of mutual respect to everyone without regard to race, colour, religion, national origin, age, gender identity or expression, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.

Find more information here: https://ccri.at/

Your application

Your application should contain all the documents listed below:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Motivation statement – max 200 words (shorter is not a problem)
• Short research essay – max 1000 words, not counting references (shorter is not a problem) for any of the topics:
  - Pediatric tumor cell-of-origin: lessons from animal models and single cell omics research
  - Why pediatric cancer is different from adult cancer and needs special research efforts?
  - What makes developmental cell states potentially competent for pediatric tumor initiation?
• Academic transcripts
• Contact details of two references

All parts are mandatory! We kindly ask you to submit the motivation statement, short research essay and the contract details as one pdf file.

The application deadline is 22.09.2024.
The applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We aim to fill the positions fast, therefore the interviews will be organized throughout September and in the beginning of October.
We are looking forward to your application!