Postdoctoral researcher/s – Cell Adhesion and Cancer Group, Turku Bioscience Centre in Finland

We invite applications for two fixed-term postdoctoral researcher positions to join for two years in a highly interdisciplinary research environment at Turku Bioscience, University of Turku.

The successful candidates will join the Cell Adhesion and Cancer Group (https://ivaskalab.utu.fi), led by Professor Johanna Ivaska, where they will play a central role in understanding biological barrier functions, including normal epithelium homeostasis, and the impact of perturbations including cancer on these barriers. We are looking for candidates with a passion to gain new mechanistic understanding of cell biology and with experience in one or more of the following areas:

•mechanobiology, modelling, biophysics

• organoids, intestinal epithelium biology, colon cancer

• cancer invasion, cancer immunology and in vivo models

• endocytosis and receptor traffic

The Cell Adhesion and Cancer group consists of 18 international researchers based in Turku, including postdoctoral researchers, PhD and Master’s students, technicians, and research support staff. We employ a broad and evolving range of experimental approaches and strongly support skill development, cross-disciplinary learning, and scientific independence. Group members are encouraged to expand their expertise, contribute intellectually to project design, and actively shape the direction of their research within a collaborative and supportive environment.

Depending on their experience, the candidates will focus on different objectives within our Research Council of Finland- or ERC-funded projects, where we develop and employ cutting edge techniques to address important biological questions. For example, we seek to define the molecular signals that enable cancer cells to cross physiological tissue borders that normally maintain tissue architecture and homeostasis. We are aiming to spatially profile the tumour–stroma interface to identify receptor–ligand interactions regulating invasion. In addition, we use innovative approaches—including microfluidics-based imaging, single-cell and spatial profiling (e.g. scRNA-seq, mass cytometry), synthetic biology, colour-barcoded high-throughput screening, and dynamically tuneable multicellular migration platforms—to capture and characterise cancer cell border-crossing events. We use in vitro cell biology assays, followed by mouse models and analysis of patient samples, to determine biological and clinical relevance of any discoveries, in close collaboration with clinicians and external experts.

You can read more about us and our research and funding at https://Ivaskalab.utu.fi.

Position requirements

• a doctoral degree in a relevant field in a relevant field by the start date; however, candidates in the final stages of their doctoral studies will also be considered
• a passion for science
• the ability to work both independently and in collaboration within a multidisciplinary research environment
• initiative and self-direction
• excellent communication skills
• good spoken and written English
• experience in one of the following areas:
  • mechanobiology, modelling, biophysics
  • organoids, intestinal epithelium biology, colon cancer
  • cancer invasion, cancer immunology and in vivo models
  • endocytosis and receptor traffic

The following are considered an advantage:

• Relevant publications in peer-reviewed journals or on a pre-print server such as bioRxiv

The qualifications for the positions are specified in the University of Turku Rules of Procedure. A person selected for the position of postdoctoral researcher is required to have a doctoral degree and the ability to do independent scientific work. In case the doctoral studies are yet not finished, then the job title will be first a project researcher for a short period of time. A project researcher must have a Master degree.

Our selection criteria are based on the principle of finding not only the most qualified but also the most suitable candidate for the job. In practice, this means that among education, publications and working experience also personal qualities, communication skills, motivation, and other relevant criteria will be considered.