PhD in Gene Therapy: "transient gene therapy to improve liver regeneration and prevent post-surgical liver failure"

Offer Description

This PhD offer is part of the GT4Health project, funded by the Walloon Region as part of its Win4Excellence program. It aims to develop various disruptive technologies as solutions to major challenges in the gene therapy sector. This multidisciplinary project involves ten partners from five French-speaking Belgian universities (ULiège, ULB, UCL, UNamur and UMons), as well as the CER Groupe research centre. In this project, viral and non-viral vectors will be used to develop innovative personalised therapeutic solutions, enabling researchers to tackle serious hereditary and chronic diseases and cancers by validating a variety of therapeutic targets.

Specifically, the project will tackle transient gene therapy to improve liver regeneration and prevent post-surgical liver failure

Background: The liver has an enormous capacity to regenerate as to maintain its function. Regeneration is however is overwhelmed as in the cirrhotic liver leading to chronic liver failure, or inefficient as after extended liver resection or transplantation of a small graft causing acute liver failure and mortality. The GAEN lab at the Institute for Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC) at UCLouvain has identified mechanisms to support liver regeneration and prevent organ failure in these situations. In this project we will use nonviral vectors to deliver gene therapy to hepatocytes as to improve regeneration and support liver function.

Question: Can gene therapy improve liver regeneration in situations of critical functional deficit, such as post-surgical failure and life-threatening cirrhosis, using animal models and non-viral vectors to modulate regeneration and cell differentiation pathways?

For more information and application, please contact Rita Manco (rita.manco@uclouvain.be) or Alexandra Dili (alexandradili@hotmail.com)

Where to apply

E-mail rita.manco@uclouvain.be

Requirements

Research Field Biological sciences

Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

- Previous experience with molecular and immunology techniques

- Previous experience in small animal surgery and handling 

- Hold a FELSA diploma or equivalent giving access to the handling of experimental animals

- Basic knowledge of statistics and handling of common statistical tools

- Ability to work as part of a team

- Good knowledge of English

- Flexibility and ability to work independently

- Experimental rigor, reliability and traceability in the reporting of manipulations carried out.

Languages ENGLISH

Level Good

Additional Information

Benefits

Work contract to 4 years 

Join a dynamic team of PhD students, post-docs, technicians and permanent staff and be part of a global project involving several universities

Access to cutting-edge technical platforms

Access to a doctoral training program

Eligibility criteria

Hold a master degree in biological science or similar

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1

Company/Institute IREC Institue/UCLouvain

Country Belgium

State/Province Bruxelles

City Bruxelles

Postal Code 1200

Street Av. Emmanuel Mounier 52

Contact

State/Province - Select State/Region -

City Brussels

Website https://uclouvain.be/en/research-institutes/irec

Street avenue Emmanuel Mounier 52, Box B1.52.01

Postal Code 1200