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
An exciting opportunity for a motivated postdoctoral scientist to join Kinases and Brain Development laboratory https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/labs/sila-ultanir at the Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
Dr Ultanir’s laboratory focuses on the role of protein kinases in neuronal development and function. Kinases regulate numerous cellular processes by phosphorylating their substrates and altering their function. CDKL5 is a brain enriched serine/threonine kinase. Loss of function mutations of CDKL5 cause a severe neurodevelopmental disorder with early-onset seizures, termed CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD). Our lab’s aim is to understand the roles of CDKL5 in the brain and to reveal how loss of CDKL5 leads to neuronal pathology. What are the molecular signaling events that lead to synapse formation in the brain?
Ultanir lab uses state of the art chemical genetics and mass spectrometry methods to determine the substrates and signaling pathways regulated by kinases in mouse models and human iPSCs. Our lab revealed CDKL5’s downstream effectors of microtubule binding proteins (Baltussen et al, 2018) and voltage-gated calcium channel Cav2.3 (Sampedro-Castaneda et al, 2023). These discoveries helped gain a better understanding of CDKL5 function and pathology. In addition to these roles, CDKL5 also functions in the nucleus and appears to be a critical regulator of neuronal differentiation yet its role in gene regulation is not well-understood.
The goal of this project is to study gene regulatory roles of CDKL5 and its functional compensation in CDKL5 patient iPSCs derived neurons. The postdoctoral fellow will generate and use transcriptomics data and alter gene expression with oligonucleotide interventions to determine how CDKL5 regulates gene expression. World-class sequencing and bioinformatics capabilities are available at scientific technology platforms at the Crick.
Postdoctoral Training Fellow will lead their own projects, contribute to other projects on a collaborative basis and help train PhD students.
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 iPSC derived neurons
- Experience in single cell RNA sequencing
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
