Research Assistant in Diabetes and Parkinson's Disease

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is consistently ranked as one of the world's leading universities. There are about 47,000 students and more than 8,800 employees in Lund, Helsingborg, and Malmö. We unite in our efforts to understand, explain, and improve our world and the conditions of people.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Gender equality, equal opportunities, and diversity are fundamental principles for all parts of our operations.

Workplace Description

Diabetes has a significant impact on brain function and increases the risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD).

Our research aims to understand the molecular mechanisms linking the two diseases and to identify new therapeutic approaches that may benefit parents with comorbid diabetes-PD.

The Diabetes and Brain Function Lab at the Department of Experimental Medical Science is located at BMC and operates within the medical faculty's various research environments, namely LUDC, WCMM, and Multipark.

The recruited researcher will work to establish cellular mechanisms regulating neurochemical processes involved in the diabetes-PD association.

We Offer

Lund University is a government agency, which means you receive special benefits, generous vacation, and a favorable occupational pension.

We offer an attractive research environment, with close interactions with labs specializing in diabetes research, neuroscience, and regenerative medicine.

Read more on the university's website about being employed with us here (https://www.lu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss).

Responsibilities and Duties

The responsibilities include planning and conducting experiments, collecting and analyzing data, presenting results at lab meetings and conferences, writing reports and research papers, preparing research proposals, demonstrating procedures, and mentoring junior team members.

Research activities include:

• In vivo animal experiments
• Analysis of untargeted multiomics
• Immunoblotting methods
• Advanced immunofluorescence microscopy

The researcher will participate in the lab's interdisciplinary collaborative projects.

The researcher is expected to conduct professional research and nurture:

• Responsibility for their own competence and career development.
• Keeping abreast of scientific and technical developments in the research area by continuously reading relevant literature and regularly attending seminars.
• Contributing to the maintenance of the lab (equipment, supplies, reagents, sample banks, and other available resources).
• Good time management and meeting deadlines.
• Reading and responding promptly to messages from supervisors and team members.
• Preparing and participating in the lab's and its research environments' activities (lab meetings, scientific seminars, method workshops, retreats).

Qualifications

Requirements for Employment

The successful applicant will demonstrate a strong interest and self-motivation for the research subject, the ability to think analytically and creatively, and must have:

• Ph.D. in biochemistry or a science field assessed as equivalent.
• Postdoctoral experience in the field of Parkinson's disease.
• Good knowledge of neuroscience and brain physiology.
• Experience in phenotyping mouse behavior, molecular biological methods, immunoblotting methods, and histology/immunofluorescence microscopy.
• Understanding of -omics analysis.
• Good presentation and writing skills in English.

Personal Qualities Required for the Position:

• Motivation to achieve the research goals of our lab.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent potential for scientific research (formulating and solving research problems).
• Ability to maintain traceable research documentation (documentation of hypotheses, experiments, and data analysis).

Desirable for Employment:

• Research experience with animal models of Parkinson's disease.
• Experience with neurotoxicity and neuroprotective approaches.
• Understanding of nutrition and metabolism.
• Isolation of extracellular vesicles.

Other

Probationary employment may be applied. Interviews will be conducted at our premises in Lund. The employment is for one year starting from May 1 or by agreement, full-time 100%.

How to Apply

Applications should be made in English and include: (1) a cover letter explaining the applicant's relevant experience and research interests; (2) a CV; (3) copies of degrees and transcripts of academic documents; (4) and contact information from at least two references.

More about the Faculty of Medicine

The Faculty of Medicine is an operational area within Lund University, responsible for education and research in medicine, care, and health. Education takes place in close collaboration with healthcare and is well anchored in the faculty's strong research tradition. The faculty's research spans a wide field of experimental basic research, patient-oriented clinical research, and health science research. The Faculty of Medicine, with over 1,800 employees and 2,700 students in Lund, Malmö, and Helsingborg, is a knowledge-intensive meeting place for students, teachers, and researchers from around the world.

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