Post-doctoral position in metabolism and disease

Organisation/Company

de Duve Institute - UCLouvain

Research Field

Chemistry » Biochemistry
Biological sciences » Biology
Medical sciences

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Belgium

Application Deadline

9 Mar 2025 - 22:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Offer Starting Date

1 Apr 2025

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

We focus on unraveling metabolic mechanisms underlying enzymatic defects, particularly those observed in Inborn Errors of Metabolism. Our lab discovered that neutropenia, which leads to severe infections in patients with Glycogen Storage Disease type Ib (GSD1b) and G6PC3 deficiency, is caused by the accumulation of a glucose metabolism inhibitor in neutrophils (Veiga-da-Cunha et al., PNAS, 2019).
This breakthrough led to the development of a new treatment that has since become the standard of care, significantly improving clinical outcomes for these patients (Wortmann et al., Blood, 2020; Boulanger et al., JIMD, 2022). However, we believe there is room for further optimization. A key focus of our current research is enhancing this treatment based on our recent identification of SGLT5 as a crucial renal transporter for managing neutropenia in these patients (Diederich et al., Cell Mol. Life Sci., 2023).
 

Beyond our work on neutropenia, our lab has a longstanding interest in glucose metabolism regulation, particularly glucose phosphorylation. In this context, we are investigating the pathophysiological mechanisms behind two neurodevelopmental diseases:
     • PGM2L1 deficiency (Morava et al., AJHG, 2021)
     • de novo mutations in hexokinase 1 (Wortmann et al., Neurol Genet., 2024)
 

To address these complex metabolic questions, we employ state-of-the-art metabolic analysis techniques, combining cell culture and mouse models with biochemical and enzymatic approaches.

Website

https://www.abg.asso.fr/fr/candidatOffres/show/id_offre/128561

We ask for a PhD degree in biomedical or biochemical sciences. Experience in cell biology, mastering cell culture techniques, metabolomics, enzymology and/or experience with working with mouse models are assets. 

We are looking for highly motivated and dedicated researchers, quality-oriented with a strong interest in fundamental research questions related to biochemistry and metabolism.

A good command of English (spoken and written) is a plus.

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

de Duve Institute - UCLouvain

Country

Belgium

City

Brussels

Geofield

Website

https://www.deduveinstitute.be/research-group/maria-veiga-da-cunha

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