Investigator and Associates - Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research
Job Title: Investigator and Associates
Section: NIBRI Research
Department: DMP
Report To: Peixin Zhu
Position Summary: Functional genomics and pathway analysis in zebrafish model. The discovery of genetic contribution to human neurological diseases such as Schizophrenia, Autism and neurodegenerative disorders is reenergizing neuroscience drug discovery. Exploiting ENU mutagenesis and targeted CRISPR genome editing, combined with in vivo two-photon imaging in adult zebrafish, our groups envision to reveal functional relationships between genes, physiological organ functions and animal behaviors in cardiovascular, enteric and central nervous system diseases, such as heart failure, intestinal aganglionosis, schizophrenia, and neurodegeneration, to facilitate the identification of underlying molecular pathways and potential therapeutic treatments. The candidate will lead a team to explore and characterize gene expression, molecular pathway and functional genomics in CRISPR or ENU mutants. The team will be dedicated to consolidating molecular targets derived from in vivo imaging and behavioral phenotyping of libraries of novel GWAS candidate genes and rare variants associated with neurological, cardiovascular and enteric nervous system diseases. Expertise in molecular and cell biology, bioinformatics and CRISPR technology are required. Knowledge of developmental biology, epigenetics, stem cell biology or other fields is preferred. We seek Investigators at the Ph.D. level to actively collaborate with our imaging and behavioral phenotyping groups to validate molecular pathways needed to understand the contributions of genes to the development and correct functions of neuronal circuits, and their relationship to disease processes.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Design, perform gene expression analysis on mRNA, protein and pathway level
• Explore transcriptome and proteome in single cell or organ level
• Systematically quantify transcriptome and proteasome changes in CRISPR and ENU mutants.
• Identify molecular basis of circuit, organ and animal behavior
POSITION REQUIREMENTS
Minimum:
• Ph.D. degree in molecular biology, or bioinformatics, stem cell biology, or developmental biology, or similar fields.
• Proficiency in molecular techniques, functional genomics and bioinformatics, ideally familiar with stem cell biology, or developmental biology, or cancer biology, or CRISPR techniques.
• Excellent communication skills.
Preferred: • Experience of single cell functional genomics, or epigenetics, or proteomics.
• Or in situ hybridization, histology.
• Or experience with in vivo animal models, such as zebrafish or rodent.
• Or background of microscopy and imaging.