Postdoctoral Researcher (M/F) Senescence, immunosurveillance and cancer

Job Description

Missions

The postdoctoral researcher will join the “ISAC – Immune Surveillance in Aging & Cancer” team led by Dr Julien Cherfils-Vicini at the Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN, U1081 / UMR7284). The team studies the role of senescent cells in aging and cancer, and the immunosurveillance mechanisms controlling their elimination.
Cellular senescence is a driver of aging and an ambivalent player in tumorigenesis. The team has uncovered mechanisms by which senescent cells escape immunosurveillance, particularly NK-cell-mediated (Iltis et al., Nature Aging 2024), and has proposed the concept of Senescence Immune Checkpoints (SIC). This work opens new therapeutic perspectives at the interface of aging, immunity and cancer.
The recruited researcher will play a central role in these projects: characterisation of senescent cells and their immune microenvironment, functional study of immunosurveillance (in vitro, ex vivo, in vivo), and exploration of the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms. He or she will design, perform and analyse the experiments, working independently and in close interaction with the team and its collaborators.

Activity

• Independently design, develop and carry out the projects' experiments (cell culture, cytometry, immunophenotyping, animal models, molecular biology).
• Define the coherent set of techniques required to meet the scientific objectives and validate the technical options.
• Process, analyse, interpret and validate results; ensure their reproducibility and traceability (electronic lab notebook).
• Disseminate results: publications, communications, and interactions with the team's collaborators.
• Contribute to the training and supervision of team students in the relevant techniques.
• Where applicable, contribute to drafting and managing regulatory documents related to animal experimentation.
• Maintain scientific and technological monitoring; apply and enforce health and safety rules.

Knowledge
• Tumour immunology, immunosurveillance, NK and myeloid cell biology (in depth).
• Biology of senescence and aging (working knowledge expected, in-depth knowledge appreciated).
• Multiparametric, high-content and spectral cytometry (in depth).
• Cell culture (human and murine, primary cells and lines) and cell biology (in depth).
• Molecular biology (in depth).
• Sequencing techniques (scRNA-seq, bulk, spatial) and notions of bioinformatics: a valued additional asset.
• Legal and ethical framework of animal experimentation (appreciated, not required).
• Scientific English: B2 to C1 (CEFR).

Your Profil

Skills

Core of the position:
• Tumour immunology and immunosurveillance, with a strong interest in the analysis of the immune microenvironment (NK cells, myeloid populations, lymphocytes; functional assays: cytotoxicity, CD107a degranulation, activation, cytokine production).
• Multiparametric, high-content / spectral flow cytometry (design of high-dimensional panels such as 20-colour, immunophenotyping, analysis); familiarity with functional cytometry approaches would be an asset.
• Human and murine cell culture, primary cells and cell lines (co-cultures, cell sorting, immune-cell purification, induction and characterisation of senescence).
• Mouse models and profiling of the tissue or tumour microenvironment (grafts, in vivo Matrigel plug assay, analysis of the immune infiltrate, aging models).
• Molecular biology and gene modification (expression modulation by lentivirus/shRNA, cloning).
Appreciated assets:
• Transcriptomic analyses: bulk, single-cell and, if possible, spatial RNA-seq; design and analysis of omics experiments. Solid hands-on experience in RNA-seq is a particularly valued additional asset.
• Animal experimentation: accreditation for animal experimentation is an appreciated advantage but not a prerequisite.
• Multiplexed / multicolour histology and imaging (immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, spatial imaging, image analysis).


Behavioural skills
• Determination, tenacity and ability to overcome experimental difficulties.
• Autonomy and sense of organisation.
• Rigour and critical thinking.
• Intellectual curiosity and scientific creativity.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and taste for teamwork and networking.

Your Work Environment

The ISAC team studies senescence, immunosurveillance and cancer around a founding concept, the Senescence Immune Checkpoints (SIC). Dynamic and rapidly growing (about ten people), it brings together permanent researchers, engineers, PhD students and interns, and runs the CytoMed cytometry facility. It is supported by competitive funding (ANR, INCa, FRM, Impetus).
IRCAN was established on 1 January 2012 at the heart of the Pasteur hospital-university campus in Nice. Research at IRCAN aims to understand the biological mechanisms connecting aging and cancer. A joint research unit under the supervision of Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS and INSERM, IRCAN brings together around 200 researchers, engineers, technicians, postdoctoral fellows and students, organised into 15 research teams and 6 technological platforms.

Constraints and risks

no specific constraint

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

Between €3,071 and €4,714 gross per month, depending on professional experience.

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions