post-doctoral position in 3D IPSC cultures and neurotoxicology

at  Universit de Lausanne

INTRODUCTION

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

PRESENTATION

We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to study myelin disruption in the context of regulatory developmental neurotoxicology. The research will be carried in the group of Marie Gabrielle Zurich under the supervison of Dr. David Pamies, at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

The prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders has risen above 15% globally, posing a significant public health challenge. Environmental toxicants are suspected contributors, but the impact of exposure to xenobiotics during development is not well understood. Current OECD toxicological guidelines are costly, use many animals, and take a long time, leading to calls for non-animal New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). The OECD and EFSA are developing in vitro testing methods to improve and replace animal testing, particularly for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) based on an in vitro testing battery of assays .Myelin formation has been considered as one of the most important key events occurring during brain development and as a sensitive endpoint by OECD. A 3D organotypic brain model, called BrainSpheres, has been developed using advanced cell cultures and iPSCs. This model can generate a high quantity of consistent BrainSpheres with compact myelin, crucial for brain function. The model has successfully evaluated myelin disruption by known toxicants. The proposal aims to:

• Adapt the myelin assay for high-throughput analysis.
• Assess myelin disruption potential of OECD/EFSA chemicals and submit results for model inclusion in test batteries.
• Incorporate microglia into the model, to evaluate the effects on inflammatory response in myelin disruption.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

The candidate is experienced in the field of iPSCs. Expertise in 3D in vitro models and toxicology is highly appreciated. Candidates are required to be fluent in written and spoken English.
The ideal candidate has a strong background in neurobiology and neurotoxicology, a proven track record of success, is passionate about the topic and able to work independently.

By using a human iPSC-derived brain 3D model, this project aims to validate a test method for further incorporation in OECD guidelines. Myelin quantification will be performed using a training set of chemicals to evaluate the readiness of the method. In addition, other methodes such as flow cytometry, high throughput imagen analysis and Elisa will be evaluated.