Postdoctoral Researcher for Molecular Mechanisms of Motor Neurodegeneration

Are you a scientist with a PhD degree or close to obtaining a PhD degree in Neurobiology or a related field, who is interested in a scientific career? Are you passionate about science and a critical and creative thinker? Are you interested in exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying motor neurodegenerative disease and performing cutting-edge biomedical research? Then you have a part to play as a postdoctoral researcher!

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher who will work independently on Drosophila genetics projects. Your main project will involve the characterisation of mutant lines identified in a forward genetic screen for genes required for axonal maintenance (unpublished). These mutants display adult-onset progressive degeneration of peripheral motor and/or sensory neurons. Phenotypic and molecular characterisation of these mutants involves Drosophila genetic approaches, behavioural analysis, immunohistochemistry, fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH), in vivo non-canonical amino acid tagging (NCAT), confocal and super-resolution imaging, molecular biology, biochemistry, and next-generation sequencing. In addition, you will have the opportunity to contribute to other ongoing projects in the lab, such as studying the molecular pathogenesis of CMT peripheral neuropathy associated with mutations in tRNA synthetases, following up on our recently published work (Zuko, Mallik et al, Science, 2021). You will have the opportunity to collaborate with and supervise Master's students, and - in the longer run - also PhD candidates. You will get some exposure to teaching in Master's courses. Finally, the development of an independent research project that can be transferred to a future position is possible and highly encouraged.

• You are a highly motivated, passionate, critical and creative individual with a strong publication record.
• You are team-oriented, open to provide and receive feedback, and keen to engage in scientific discussions.
• You hold, or are close to obtaining, a PhD in Neurobiology or a related field, and are interested in a scientific career.
• You have previous experience with Drosophila genetics and molecular biology.
• We are a dynamic international lab, so a good command of English is essential.

• It concerns an employment for 1.0 FTE.
• The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of €2,960 and a maximum of €4,670 based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant work experience (salary scale 10).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• This is a temporary contract for 2 years, with the possibility of extension for a further 2 years.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.
• You will be offered a personal career plan, providing you with excellent personal development opportunities in both scientific and academic career skills.
• The Donders Institute, which has a long tradition in neuroscience, is characterised by a vibrant international environment. It regularly organises lecture series featuring top-notch speakers as well as various internal seminar series.
• You will be able to attend a Dutch language course free of charge.

The Storkebaum lab combines Drosophila and mouse genetics to unravel molecular mechanisms underlying motor neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disorders. Our current focus is on Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) peripheral neuropathy associated with mutations in tRNA synthetases and on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) associated with mutations in FUS. More broadly, we are interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying axonal degeneration, with a focus on the role of mRNA translation defects. We use a broad spectrum of methods and techniques including a recently developed method for cell-type-specific in vivo labelling of newly synthesised proteins (NCAT), several high-end imaging techniques (confocal and super-resolution microscopy), single-molecule FISH, (single-cell/single-nucleus) transcriptomics, whole genome sequencing, mouse and Drosophila behavioural analysis, electromyography, histology, immunohistochemistry, molecular biology and biochemistry.

Our dynamic and international team currently consists of three postdoctoral researchers, four PhD candidates and a technical assistant. Furthermore we have strong international collaborations with scientists working on RNA biology and genetics. We attracted substantial external funding, including an ERC consolidator grant, two JPND grants, and grants from the Radala Foundation for ALS Research, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), AFM, ARSLA, the Dutch ALS Association, Prinses Beatrix Spierfonds and the Dutch Research Council NWO. We have several recent papers published in high-impact journals, including Science, Nature, Neuroscience, Journal of Cell Biology, Nature Communications, Acta Neuropathologica, EMBO Journal and PLoS Genetics.

• A letter of motivation (max. 1 page).
• Your CV, including the contact details of at least two references.