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Postdoctoral oPportunity!

The newly-hired Post-doctoral Researcher will be working in the laboratory of Dr. Tobias Engel testing new treatment strategies for epilepsy.
Specifically, the duties of the post are:

  • Carrying out animal work in compliance with HPRA, EPA and RCSI Ethics policies and regulations.
  • Analysis of brain tissue using different laboratory techniques (e.g., qPCR, immunostaining, Western blotting, FACS).
  • To train postgraduate students.
  • To publish research findings.
  • To attend conferences and disseminate research.

Qualifications:
• A recent PhD in a related area such as Neuroscience.
• Experience working with laboratory animals if possible.
Knowledge & Experience – (Essential):
• General lab experience; molecular biology and/or neuroscience research area would be an advantage.
• Familiarity with laboratory Health and Safety protocols and procedures.
• Strong organisation and project management skills to ensure tasks are delivered on time and within agreed parameters.
• Strong communication skills with a proven ability to liaise with various stakeholders across a number of different departments.
Skills & Competencies:
• Scientifically competent.
• Effective communications style – excellent English.
• Proficiency in Computer/Presentation skills.
• Ability to make decisions and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work on one’s own initiative as well as in a team environment.
Application Process
Please apply online no later than 11.30pm on April 18th with your CV and Covering Letter. Job reference: 026192
Informal Enquiries can be directed to Dr Tobias Engel at tengel@rcsi.ie

MARIE CURIE Postdoc fellows opportunity!

We have been highly successful in securing Marie Curie fellowships in the past (4 fellows) and we are looking to expand our current team (including 2 MSCA postdoctoral fellows, 2 MSCA PhD fellows). Our laboratory is particularly interested in what drives pathological processes during the development of epilepsy and how interfering with the purinergic system impacts on the disease. For our research we use a range of newly developed transgenic animal models, patient tissue and a variety of in vitro approaches including human-induced pluripotent stem cells.

We are interested in speaking with postdoctoral researchers with ideally a strong background in neuroscience, who would work on an exciting new project based around purinergic signalling in epilepsy taking advantage of novel technologies (e.g., single cell sequencing, iPSCs). Our group has strong collaborations with industry (e.g., Janssen and Affectis) and is based at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).

RCSI has been at the forefront of educating healthcare professionals since 1784 when we were founded as the national training and professional body for surgery. Today we are Ireland’s only focused health sciences institution, Ireland’s largest medical school and one of the leading health sciences institutions in the world. RCSI hosts a multi-cultural environment with state-of-the-art facilities in the heart of Dublin, Ireland.

For more information contact Dr Tobias Engel (tengel@rcsi.ie).

December 2018

Profiling of Argonaute-2-loaded microRNAs in a mouse model of frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism-17

Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the pathological aggregation of the microtubule-associated protein tau. These include more than 20 diseases, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most frequent. While pathological and neurotoxic effects of tau are well documented, the mechanisms by which tau can promote neurodegeneration are less clear.