The candidate should be experienced in the following techniques:
• Immunohistochemistry
• Microscopy
• Sample preparation for biochemical analysis
• SDS-PAGE
• Western blot analysis
• Basic or good knowledge in bioinformatics (R, python)
• The candidate should fluently speak and write English and should be able to work in a team with a high degree of autonomy
What we are looking for:
• You have a Master degree according to EU standards
• You meet the English language criteria of KU Leuven
• You are willing to work with patient tissue
• Highly motivated, enthusiastic, critical, and creative
• You have the ability to work in a team and to present your results at national or international conferences
One of the most complex players in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease is the neuroinflammatory response. Today, multiple different types of microglial cells are known and many different protective as well as toxic pathways can be activated in the context of a neuroinflammatory reaction. In this project, we will combine bulk and spatial omics methods with neuropathological and neuroanatomical methods to get a deeper understanding of the different neuroinflammatory types of response in the AD brain. This project is a collaboration project between the KU-Leuven laboratory for neuropathology and the VIB-UAntwerp Center of Molecular Neurology group of Prof. K. Sleegers. The Laboratory for Neuropathology carries out the neuropathological characterization and neuroanatomical identification of local networks as well as bulk and spatial proteomics whereas the Sleegers group will carry out genomics as well as bulk and spatial transcriptomics.
Project tasks:
·Pathological analyses of human brain tissue, including quantitative analyses and spatial proteomics.
·Biochemical analysis of human brain tissue (Western blotting, immunoprecipitation, ELISA, mass spectrometry, etc.)
·Bioinformatic analysis of the proteomics results
Responsibilities:
• You will do immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence stainings, incl. spatial proteomics and analysis of human brain samples, as well as biochemical analysis of human brain samples (mass spectrometry).
• You will supervise lab rotation students and master students.
• You will report your data to your supervisors, other researchers, as well at (international) conferences.
The Laboratory of Neuropathology, focusing on the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, is an established laboratory in the Department of Imaging and Pathology at KU Leuven. The laboratory of Neuropathology is a group of seven researchers which is embedded in the Translational Cell & Tissue Research unit. This research group has a close collaboration with the Neurology and Pathology Departments of the University Hospitals Leuven and the VIB Groups in Antwerp and Leuven.For understanding the role of neuroinflammation for the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) we use multi-omics approaches including spatial proteomics to clarify the neuroprotective and neurotoxic effects in the AD brain. Funding is available for the next 4 years in the context of a collaboration project with Prof. Kristel Sleegers (VIB-University of Antwerp). The neuropathological and proteomics part of this project will be carried out in Leuven. This project is embedded into a number of collaborations with VIB-KU Leuven groups and groups from the university hospital Leuven.
·We offer a full time 4-year contract for a PhD student position (financed by KU Leuven). However, the candidate will be encouraged to apply for personal funding.
·You will be working on a hot topic in neurodegeneration research, in a leading research team with a widespread network of international and local collaborators, and in an excellent international research environment at KU Leuven.
·Promotion of your PhD thesis to be written within the four years
·Participation in an individually shaped PhD Program with different opportunities to present and share data on weekly seminars, lectures and international conferences.
·Access to different state-of-the-art core facilities of KU Leuven