Under supervision of your promotor(s), you will be responsible for your own research project. You will learn to design and conduct experiments in an autonomous way and analyze data and interpret results with a critical and problem-solving mindset. Moreover, you are encouraged to advance your scientific career by taking up extra activities (e.g., presenting at (inter)national scientific meetings and publish results in peer-reviewed journals, following relevant trainings etc.) and you are motivated to apply for an FWO PhD fellowship. You have a master’s degree (MSc, or equivalent) in pharmaceutical, biomedical, biological, or biochemical sciences, or in a related field.
You are:
1. Fluent in English, both spoken and written
2. Good in multitasking and working in a team
3. Self-motivated, passionate, responsible, flexible and eager to learn
4. Good in time management and have strong analytical, organizational and communication skills and a curious mindset
5. Interested in epilepsy research, neurobiology, and drug delivery and development
6. Happy to supervise Bachelor or Master students
Project-related experience with laboratory animals (zebrafish), cell culture, drug discovery and development, molecular biology, (confocal) imaging, or electrophysiology techniques is considered a plus, but not essential.
The research project will contribute to this mission, either by leveraging our new platform of patient-specific zebrafish epilepsy models, or by advancing newly identified active compounds within the hit-to-lead stage of drug development using a target-based approach. Both options are available and the actual topic will be chosen and finalized in consultation with the selected candidate, taking into account the personal background and interests.
Our patient-specific zebrafish models of genetic epilepsies rely on the transplantation of iPSC-derived human neurons in the brain of zebrafish embryos. This approach allows to better model human diseases by capturing both the genetic background of the patient and in vivo complexity. Hence, complementing current state-of-the-art models like genetic zebrafish models, 2D and 3D neuronal models, and rodent transplantation models. This exciting project will include zebrafish work (micro-injections, behavioral and electrophysiological analysis, …), cell culture, neuro-imaging, molecular biology, and transcriptomics. By advancing the disease modeling of a genetic epilepsy and investigating its underlying pathomechanisms, you will potentially identify novel drug targets and precision therapies.
Within our drug discovery and development pipeline we have promising hits and leads (small molecules) at different stages of development. By performing mode-of-action studies we discovered novel anti-epileptic drug targets, which underwent in silico assessment and in vivo validation for their functional involvement. Several targets are now ready for further in vitro validation, including assay development and analysis of the predicted structure-activity relationship, followed by target-based compound optimization as well as target-based discovery of drug repurposing candidates. This exciting project will include zebrafish work (behavioral and electrophysiological analysis, …), cell culture and in vitro assay development, as well as protein purification and molecular biology, and will be performed in close collaboration with the laboratory of Prof. Wim De Borggraeve (department of Chemistry).
The Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery (KU Leuven) is seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic PhD student to join our research team. Our mission is to improve the current understanding and treatment of (infantile onset) drug-resistant epilepsies by innovative disease modeling and drug discovery approaches. Therefore, we rely on the use of larval zebrafish models, complemented with iPSC technology and rodents, and focus on small molecules and genetic therapies. For more information about the research group, visit our lab website Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery — Molecular Biodiscovery and the Leuven Childhood epilepsy Center website https://www.leuvenkinderepilepsiecentrum.be/en, where we are responsible for the preclinical research and closely collaborate with the pediatric epilepsy unit of UZ Leuven.
We offer a PhD position in a stimulating and collaborative research environment at KU Leuven (one of Europe’s leading research universities) in a well-equipped research group that is internationally recognized in the epilepsy field.
You will be based at the Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, located at campus Gasthuisberg, Leuven.
You will receive a 1 year contract that will be prolonged to 4 years, subject to a positive evaluation.
Moreover, we offer:
7. A pleasant working environment, located in Leuven, a beautiful student-oriented city in Belgium.
8. A chance to contribute to innovative research project(s) in a field of major unmet medical needs, making an impact for people living with epilepsy.
9. Frequent opportunities to attend international conferences and workshops and to network and collaborate.
10. Supervision and training by a team of experts in epilepsy, neurobiology, drug discovery and development, zebrafish research, and -omics analysis.
11. A professional research and management team with access to state-of-the-art technologies, close collaboration with the pediatric epilepsy unit of UZ Leuven (Leuven Childhood Epilepsy Center), and well-experienced with research valorization (IOF innovation program ‘Aquatic platform for drug discovery and toxicity testing’).
12. Access to centralized facilities offering specialized expertise in microscopy, electrophysiology, genomics, and more.
13. Training in a variety of state-of-the-art experimental models and methods, creating a powerful foundation with exceptional opportunities for personal and professional growth.