The Technical University of Liberec – Department of Science and Research in Biomedical Applications offers RD opportunities for foreign researchers who wish to apply for a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship within the framework of the MSCA programme.
If selected, fellows will receive the MSCA Postdoctoral Grant, which covers two years’ salary, a mobility allowance, research costs, and overheads for the hosting institution.
The Faculty of Health Studies is a relatively new part of the Technical University of Liberec (TUL), and the biomedically oriented research is based on PIs with a long history at other Czech Universities or Institutes of the Academy of Sciences. A newly established team of members with different backgrounds is oriented in cell biology, dealing with eukaryotic as well as prokaryotic systems. The goal is to work with different bio/nanomaterials (nanoparticles, nanosurfaces) and to detect and describe their interactions with different cell types (separately or in co-cultures). There is a long history of collaboration with academic institutions and firms not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad. Recently, the main focus covers four main areas of research that are together linked via technology know-how: 1) cell electrostimulation on bioengineered materials; 2) co-cultures of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; 3) miRNA-based theranostics in human pathologies; 4) bioproduced nanoparticles as vectors for nucleic acid delivery. Pathologies, our group is aiming for (but not limited to), are neurodegenerative diseases, skin disturbances, and solid tumours. The setup of the TUL laboratories enables complex studies on the nano-bio interface (including rare co-culture studies of eukaryotic and physiological or pathological microorganisms), useful for new material production, characterisation, and its practical application or clinical trials.
The applicant(s) will work with experienced PIs who have been supervising or contributing to EU projects in fields of biomedicine and nanotechnology:
Veronika Benson, Ph.D. is a senior PI with doctoral degrees in gene engineering and biomedicine. She gained experience in basic research facilities of the National Cancer Institute, NIH (Bethesda, USA) and the Czech Academy of Sciences (Prague, CZE), as well as within clinical departments of the Oncohematology unit in San Luigi Hospital (Torino, IT) or the Haematology Institute (Prague, CZE). As a group leader, she focused primarily on development of nanoparticle carriers for nucleic acid delivery and miRNA research. Her team emphasized fluorescent nanodiamonds and lately biologically produced gold nanoparticles. She completed projects on designing wound dressing based on gene therapy as well as nanosystems for nucleic acid delivery and diagnostics within cancer models. Her work portfolio also covers immunology studies and studies on structured electrostimulating 3D nanosurfaces. VB joined completion of EU FP7 project DINAMO, led key activity in EU project NANOINTEGRACE and past 5 years, she hosted two subsequent MSCA fellowships BiGCaT and AcuteeFate via MEYS International Mobility.
Marie Hubalek Kalbacova, Ph.D. is a professor and head of the Department of Science and Research in Biomedical Applications. She has the doctoral degree molecular and cell biology and genetics. She gained experience in basic research facilities of 1st Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Science, Charles University, Faculty of Medicine, Technical University Dresden (Dresden, DE), Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, U.S.A.), MIT (Cambridge, MA, U.S.A.). She had also experiences in R&D company – Novartis Pharma (Basel, CH). As a group leader, she focused primarily on characterisation of interactions of different cell types with nanomaterials, which can be applied to newly developed bone (tooth) implants, sensors, vehicles for delivery of DNA, RNA or drugs. Her work portfolio also covers immunology studies and studies on structured electrostimulating 3D nanosurfaces. MHK led several national research projects as well as was a partner in international projects (with Japan, Germany, and Hungary). She hosted several national and international postdocs.
Eligibility criteria for prospective candidates
According to the current call requirements.
Applicants may be of any nationality, but must not have resided in Czechia or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) longer than 12 months in the last 3 year prior to the MSCA-PF call deadline. Candidate has to hold a PhD degree.
Candidates reaching 70% ranking in EU MSCA evaluation but cannot be funded directly by the EU have the opportunity to be funded by the MEYS (Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports).
If interested in joining our team, please provide a recent CV. Selected candidates will be supported by us to co-develop their proposal.
Supervisors
Prof. Marie Hubálek Kalbáčová, Ph.D.
E-mail: marie.hubalek.kalbacova@tul.cz
ORCID: 0000-0002-3886-2218
Dr. Veronika Benson, Ph.D.
E-mail: veronika.benson@tul.cz
ORCID: 0000-0003-4770-9909