Jobs

Postdoctoral Fellow in Neurodegenerative Disease

Posted 21 Feb 2025

Employer

The University of Sydney

Location

Sydney, Australia

Principal Investigator

Adam Walker

Contact

For applications, see https://www.seek.com.au/job/82148466.

Description

The University of Sydney is seeking to employee a postdoctoral research associate (Level A and or B) to join the lab led by Professor Adam Walker, which focuses on molecular, biochemical, cellular, and animal model studies of the causes and potential treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/motor neuron disease (MND) and frontotemporal dementia.

This position will involve conducting and analysing experiments to understand molecular mechanisms and identify potential treatments for ALS/MND and FTD, with a focus on novel pathogenic biochemical pathways and new therapeutic avenues. The incumbent may use techniques including surgery, AAVs, and behavioural analyses for pre-clinical testing in mouse models of disease. 

Alternatively, the incumbent may employ advanced molecular biology and iPS cell culture systems to develop new in vitro neurodegenerative disease models and study disease-causative biological mechanisms. You will employ a range of techniques including biochemistry, cell culture, lenti-/adeno-associated viruses, immunohistochemistry, advanced molecular biology including gene editing, advanced microscopy, and analysis of human tissue samples, to identify and understand new potential therapeutic targets and to test new small molecules and gene therapies.

Your projects will be developed to take advantage of your existing experience while allowing growth and development, with a focus on either in vivo or in vitro studies.

You will be based in the newly renovated Charles Perkins Centre located on the Camperdown campus. You will work both independently and cooperatively, with access to a dedicated support network and superb neuroscience research facilities, to forge new research directions, make important discoveries, and publish high-profile findings. Support will be provided for career development and leadership opportunities.

Base Salary ranging from AUD$105,350 to $140,586 + 17 percent superannuation.

Requirements

Essential:

• Ph.D. in a relevant area of cell biology, biochemistry, neuropharmacology, or neuroscience
• Excellent attention to detail, organisational ability, and record-keeping skills with a high level of motivation, initiative, and problem-solving skills
• A highly inquisitive nature and a strong desire to develop new ideas and research directions, aimed towards making high-impact findings and developing a research career
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively

and

• Strong expertise in mouse models of neurological disease (such as in genetically modified mouse colony management, the use of in vivo stereotaxic surgery techniques, drug administration, design and use of viruses such as AAVs, motor and behaviour studies, dissection and biochemical and histological analysis of brain and spinal cord, analysis of muscle function, and design and conduct of preclinical/proof-of-concept therapeutic trials), or
• Strong expertise in molecular and cellular neuroscience (such as biochemistry, iPSC 2D/3D neuron cultures, high throughput screening, advanced molecular techniques such as CRISPR, transcriptomics and proteomics, advanced microscopy, bioinformatics and analysis/coding pipelines)

Desirable

• Strong background in studies of neurodegeneration, including ALS and FTD
• Proven record of high-profile first-author publications
• Record of success in competitive funding schemes, and prizes and awards for research
• Experience in scientific presentation at an international level