Postdoctoral Training Fellow - Ultanir Lab
Reporting to: Sila Ultanir, Group Leader
Contact term: This is a full-time, fixed term (4-year) position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.
The Research Group
Dr Ultanir’s laboratory focuses on the role of kinases in neuronal development and function. Kinases regulate all cellular processes by phosphorylating their substrates, most human proteins are known to be phosphorylated. The roles of many disease-associated kinases and the functional regulation of their substrates are not known. CDKL5 is a brain enriched serine/threonine kinase. Loss of function mutations of CDKL5 cause a severe neurodevelopmental disorder with seizures, called CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD). CDD is a rare disease, yet it is a relatively common type of genetic developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. The lab’s research aims to understand the roles of CDKL5 in brain and how loss of CDKL5 leads to neuropathology.
Details of research projects currently being undertaken can be seen at: https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/labs/sila-ultanir
Ultanir lab uses state of the art chemical genetics and mass spectrometry methods to determine the substrates and signaling pathways regulated by kinases. Mouse models and human iPSCs to investigate these signaling pathways are used. Some of the methods that the lab uses include confocal microscopy, live imaging, kinase biochemistry, brain slice electrophysiology, microtubule-based transport assays and mouse behaviour. The lab discovered that CDKL5 phosphorylates microtubule binding proteins and alter microtubule-based transport. More recently, through SILAC based proteomics approaches the lab determined that CDKL5 phosphorylates and regulates a voltage-gated calcium channel Cav2.3. How CDKL5 orchestrates its substrates to achieve neuronal differentiation is not well understood.
The purpose of this role is to investigate the role of CDKL5 substrates in neuronal development and function in mice and in iPSCs. The postdoctoral training fellow will be responsible for bioinformatics analysis of proteomics and transcriptomics datasets in mouse and human iPSC models.
Postdoctoral Training Fellows will lead their own projects, contribute to other projects on a collaborative basis (both in the lab and with external collaborators) and help train PhD students. The ability to work in a team is essential.
Key experience and competencies
The post holder should embody and demonstrate our core Crick values:
Bold; Open; Collegial
Essential
- PhD in biology, neuroscience or a related discipline or in the final stages of PhD submission
- Good knowledge and experience in bioinformatics, including transcriptomics and data analysis tools
- Track record of writing papers as evidenced by publications or submitted manuscripts in referred journals
- Evidence of data presentation at scientific meetings
Desirable
- Experience in research with mice or iPSCs
About Us
At the Crick, we conduct research at the forefront of biomedical research. We combine rigour with an open and collaborative culture, and are outward-looking, reflecting our status as a partnership of six organisations aiming to pool knowledge, ideas and resources.
We have a wide research portfolio with no divisions or departments, bringing biomedical researchers together with clinicians, physical scientists and applied scientists from our pharmaceutical partners.
We aim to attract the most talented researchers and support them to tackle innovative research questions. Our science technology platforms provide our researchers with access to state-of-the-art technology and expertise.
We provide an excellent learning environment with dedicated education programmes in public engagement with science, education and personal development, and a postdoc training programme that prepares scientists for leadership roles in science.
- If you are interested in applying for this role, please apply via our website.
- All offers of employment are subject to successful security screening and continuous eligibility to work in the United Kingdom.
- If you require a visa to work in the UK we will help support your application should you be successful
