SCIENCE-JOBS-DE

PostDoc position in Cancer Research - NFkB and p53 in tumor cell senescence and therapy (Berlin)

For the CancerSys project „ProSiTu – Quantitative dynamic B and p53 regulatory modeling of radiation- chemotherapy-activated NF- networks in tumors and development of prognostic proteome signatures“

The group of Prof. Dr. Clemens Schmitt is looking for a PostDoc

We are interested in genetic programs and mutations, which impact on tumor development and sensitivity to anticancer therapies, in particular cellular senescence, apoptosis and autophagy. Utilizing transgenic mouse models, we generate primary lymphomas with defined genetic lesions (by intercrossing cancer-prone transgenics to knockout mice, and by retroviral gene transfer into established lymphoma cells or hematopoietic stem cells). These tumors are transplantable and undergo anticancer treatment at their natural sites. Using this tractable system, which recapitulates typical features of human Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, we study genetic, biochemical and metabolic effects of oncogenic action and drug responses in vivo.


NF-kB and p53 signaling cascades play a central role in tumor development and treatment responses; they regulate each other and co-control cell survival, senescence and apoptosis partly in agonistic, partly in antagonistic ways. We like to dissect NF-kB and p53 activities and their target gene programs in a time-resolved manner after DNA-damaging chemotherapy in murine and human lymphoma models, and aim at generating novel biomarkers and predictors of response. We are particularly interested in the role of cellular senescence as a critical drug effector program, and the systems medicine-based identification and cross-species investigation of markers that predict senescence-dependent outcome to cancer therapy.


For information in greater detail please see, for example, Schmitt-CA et al., Nature Med. (2000), Schmitt-CA et al., Cancer Cell (2002), Schmitt-CA et al., Cell (2002), Braig-M et al., Nature (2005), Reimann-M et al., Cancer Cell (2010), Jing-H et al., Genes Dev. (2011), and Dörr-JR et al., Nature (2013). Our study group is co-affiliated with the Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology at the Charité - University Medical Center (Humboldt University and Free University) and the distinguished Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin – both just forming a new institutional alliance, the systems medicine-focused “Berlin Institute of Health”. Moreover, we are partner in the interdisciplinary German Cancer Consortium (GCC) for Translational Cancer Research, the International Graduate Program “Berlin School of Integrative Oncology (BSIO)” and the “Preclinical Comprehensive Cancer Center (PCCC)” mouse models network. Berlin is the p!
 lace to conduct innovative and interdisciplinary research, provides a very international environment and high life quality, and is one of the most vibrant cities in Europe.


REQUIREMENTS
Join our highly motivated team if you are interested in systems medicine-driven approaches and novel strategies to dissect treatment- and outcome-relevant signaling modules in cellular senescence. You hold a Ph.D. or equivalent, and you are familiar with all basic techniques in molecular biology, biochemistry and histology (i.e. cloning, analyses of proteins and DNA/RNA, cell culture, and immunohistochemistry).  Expertise in any of the following is preferred: genome-wide screens, RNA interference, retroviral/lentiviral vector design, inducible gene expression systems, proteomics/metabolomics, cellular bioenergetics, molecular, cellular or organismic imaging, work with immunocompromised mice, generation of transgenics/knockout mice, or analysis of large data sets and mathematical modeling approaches.
Lab communication is in English.

Please send your CV including a list of publications and two references/letters of recommendation until 14 March, 2014 to

Prof. Dr. Clemens A. Schmitt, M.D.
Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine and
Charité/Campus Virchow/Hematology-Oncology
Augustenburger Platz 1
D-13353 Berlin
Germany
e-mail clemens.schmitt@charite.de

Prof. Dr. C. Schmitt
clemens.schmitt@charite.de
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Berlin