Research Assistant / Postdoc in Spatial Biology & Tissue Visualization at The Digital Pathology Research Group at the University of Bern
The Digital Pathology Research Group at the University of Bern (Group Prof. I. Zlobec) takes a deep dive into the morphomolecular aspects and spatial biology of colorectal cancer using various computational and tissue visualization techniques in order to gain insights into tumor progression and dissemination and identify new predictive and prognostic biomarkers. We use digital pathology and artificial intelligence (AI) to investigate the multi-faceted phenomenon of “tumor budding” and the tumor microenvironment in colorectal cancer. Our group is enriched by the multi-disciplinary background of our students, our numerous industry, as well as national and international academic collaborators spanning the areas of pathology, immunology, oncology, machine learning and computer vision.
The Translational Research Unit (TRU) at the Institute of Pathology interacts tightly with the Digital Pathology Research Group and serves as a core facility (service platform) that provides technical and scientific support in the design, execution and interpretation of tissue-based assays on animal and human samples for academic and industry partners (www.ngtma.com). The TRU boasts more than 800 requests per year, many of these including establishment of antibodies, or other visualization techniques (double IHC, mRNA ISH, TUNEL, OPAL, etc). Novel tissue visualization approaches, such as multiplexed immunofluorescence (mIF) are highly sought after by collaborators and the establishment of a mIF platform is of a major strategic interest for the institute.Your Tasks
- To establish and manage a new multiplexing immunofluorescence platform in TRU
- To generate own research data for scientific publication and support the research of the Digital Pathology Research Group
- To establish new immunostaining protocols for collaborators and manage these projects
- To support other team members with your histopathological expertise (histological verification/antibody validation)
- To act as consultant for researchers when needed, for e.g. tissue based study design, histopathological interpretation, preparation of images and research data for scientific publication
Who are we looking for?We are looking for a post-doc/biologist with a passion for histology and science, excited to take on the challenge of establishing a multiplexing immunofluorescence platform and interested in a deeper understanding of colorectal cancer. As a member of the Digital Pathology Research Group, you will have the chance to work on your own research topic in the area of colorectal cancer tumor microenvironment and as a member of TRU, to collaborate on a variety of different scientific projects from our research collaborators/customers. Own research and collaboration/service-oriented tasks constitute, approximately 50% of the position, each.
Your profile
- PhD, MD or equivalent. MSc in life sciences may also be considered
- Strong background in histology and cancer biology
- Experience in establishing immunohistochemistry and /or immunofluorescence protocols
- Team player and eager to be part of a group
- Ability to solve problems by taking own initiative and working independently
- Experience using Image Analysis software (i.e HALO, Qpath) is an asset
- Excellent communication skills in English; German is an asset
- Eagerness for continuous improvement
Our offerYou have the opportunity to work in a dynamic scientific environment and in exciting innovative projects. You will have close interactions with clinical pathologists within our Institute and with other partners, collaborators and clients. We offer great flexibility and friendly work environment.Start: as soon as possible or by agreementPlease send your application before 31.03.2022 including a short letter of interest, curriculum vitae with description of your professional experience, a list of publications, a list of 2 references, and copies of the certificates of academic qualifications as a single pdf-file by email to bewerbung@pathology.unibe.ch
University of Bern, Institute of Pathology, Human Resources, Murtenstrasse 31, CH-3008 Bern, www.pathology.unibe.ch