Applications are invited for a temporary post of a Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1 or Level 2 within UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science.

The Chromatin Architecture in Cancer laboratory at University College Dublin, led by Dr. Eric Conway, are recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to work on the role of chromatin regulators in acute myeloid leukemia. This position will be funded through a Science Foundation Ireland/ Irish Research Council Pathway Program award.

Project description

Driver mutations in epigenetic regulators such as DNMT3A, BCOR, EZH2, ASXL1 and TET2 occur in over 40% of acute myeloid leukaemias and tend to occur in patients with poor prognosis. The effect of these mutations on chromatin architecture, the epigenome and transcriptome is incompletely understood. Deciphering the mechanism of these mutations is critical in order to identify targeted therapeutics for these patients.

Using a combination of in vitro and primary patient samples, this project will establish model systems to investigate these mechanisms in depth. This will involve analysis and integration of next-generation sequencing data from techniques such as RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, Hi-C and CUT&Tag. This inter-disciplinary project will involve close collaboration with clinical haematologists at St. James's hospital, wet-lab & computational biologists and international research groups. Relevant recent publications from our group include Doyle et al, Frontiers in Cell & Dev Bio (2022), Conway et al, Molecular Cell (2021), Tamburri et al, Molecular Cell (2020), and Conway et al, Molecular Cell (2018).

Lab description

The Chromatin Architecture in Cancer laboratory is focused on leveraging mechanistic understanding of chromatin and epigenetic pathways to identify novel therapeutic targets in cancer. We pursue this goal through two means; 1) Use of isogenic disease model systems to explore disrupted epigenetic pathways, and 2) leveraging epigenomic mapping studies from patient samples to identify essential transcription factors and pathways that can be therapeutically targeted. The group is affiliated with the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences, and the UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research. Our group is located in the Conway Institute, an interdisciplinary research centre exploring the mechanisms of health and disease towards the development of preventative strategies and novel diagnostic and therapeutic solutions.

This is a research focused role, where you will conduct a specified programme of research supported by research training and development under the supervision and direction of a Principal Investigator. The primary purpose of the role is to further develop your research skills and competences, including the processes of publication in peer-reviewed academic publications, the development of funding proposals, the mentorship of graduate students along with the opportunity to develop your skills in research led teaching.

Salary range: 39,522 - 44,350 per annum.

Appointment on the above range will be dependent upon qualifications and experience.

Closing date: 17:00hrs (local Irish time) on 19th May 2023

Applications must be submitted by the closing date and time specified. Any applications which are still in progress at the closing time of 17:00hrs (Local Irish Time) on the specified closing date will be cancelled automatically by the system. UCD are unable to accept late applications. UCD do not require assistance from Recruitment Agencies. Any CV's submitted by Recruitment Agencies will be returned.

Prior to application, further information (including application procedure) should be obtained from the Work at UCD website: https://www.ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs/