Senior Bioinformatics Postdoc to study Genomic Resilience Against Neurodegeneration

The Holstege lab, with locations in both in Amsterdam and Leuven, aims to unravel protective mechanisms against neurodegeneration by investigating cognitive healthy centenarians: those who live to extreme ages without dementia.

The Leuven team will contrast the brain samples collected from these centenarians against an age continuum of healthy donors and individuals affected by various forms of neurodegeneration, totaling to over 1,500 human brain samples. Using an array of -omics techniques, e.g. long read DNA sequencing, single nuclei transcriptomics & ATACseq and multi-modal proteomics, the team aims to identify genetic and genomic features that may convey protection against aging and neurodegeneration.

This senior bioinformatics postdoc will be expected to contribute actively to the scientific endeavors in the Holstege lab. The candidate will computationally address biological questions concerning resilience against neurodegeneration both within as well as across -omics modalities, leveraging both in house as well as public databases. Expertise in the data analysis of one of the modalities that we will use in this project (single cell transcriptomics, ATACseq, proteomics or long-read DNA or RNA sequencing) will therefore be desirable.

In addition, the candidate will be expected to establish reproducible and sustainable data workflows in accordance with FAIR principles and ensure infrastructure scalability and long-term usibility on the CENTURY-BRAIN Hub, which is being set up as a data-sharing platform to enable internal and external collaborative research. For this, tight collaboration with the bioinformatics team in Amsterdam will be critical, thus good communication and organization skills are warranted.

The candidate will contribute to PhD supervision, and closely collaborate with the wet lab team to optimize workflows and procedures.

We are seeking a highly motivated, efficient, energetic and optimistic senior bioinformatician at postdoc level, with a strong interest in aging and neurodegeneration, and affinity with student and PhD supervision, with a collaborative spirit, to join our team in Leuven.

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Systems Biology, or related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in multi-omics integration and large-scale data analysis.
• Strong programming skills (e.g., R, Python, workflow systems).
• Proven publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Experience with collaborative, multi-institutional research environments.
• Strong communication & coordination skills and a team-player attitude
• Experience/affinity with student supervision and guidance

• Experience with neurodegeneration and aging research.
• Familiarity with secure data infrastructures and FAIR data principles.
• Ability to combine scientific depth with organizational oversight.
• Demonstrated success in grant writing or co-PI roles.

• An exceptionally strong and international scientific research environment;
• Access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and technical support;
• A competitive compensation package based on expertise and experience;
• Financial support is available for at least 2 years. The successful candidate will be required to obtain additional personal or project funding.
• Starting Date: as soon as possible 

Motivated candidates with a strong interest in neurodegeneration, a team player mindset, and with a strong commitment to computational research are invited to apply. Please complete the online application procedure and include a motivation letter, CV (including a list of publications), a short synopsis of past research and the contact information of 2 to 3 referees. Applications must come in through the portal to be considered; the best-ranked candidates will be invited for an interview. For further information and questions, please send an email to Dr. Annerieke Sierksma (Voir email sur nature.com)

• Find out more about the Holstege lab: Holstege Lab - Home
• Discover the Center by visiting the website or looking around during a virtual tour
• Follow the Center on social media: Facebook and Twitter 

Company

VIB’s core mission is to generate disruptive insights in the molecular underpinning of life and to translate these actively into impactful innovations for patients and society. VIB is an independent research institute where some 1,800 top scientists from Belgium and abroad conduct pioneering basic research. As such, they are pushing the boundaries of what we know about molecular mechanisms and how they rule living organisms such as human beings, animals, plants, and microorganisms. Based on a close partnership with five Flemish universities – Ghent University, KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and Hasselt University – and supported by a solid funding program, VIB unites the expertise of all its collaborators and research groups in a single institute. VIB’s technology transfer activities translate research results into concrete benefits for society such as new diagnostics and therapies and agricultural innovations. These applications are often developed by young start-ups from VIB or through collaborations with other companies. This also leads to additional employment and bridges the gap between scientific research and entrepreneurship. VIB also engages actively in the public debate on biotechnology by developing and disseminating a wide range of science-based information. 

More info can be found on  .

Company info

Website

Telephone

09446611

Location

Rijvisschestraat 120
Zwijnaarde
Belgium
9052
BE