PRR Project

Summary

The hired researcher will conduct research in the field of immunology creating synergies with biological chemistry, biophysics, computational and molecular biology, forging interdisciplinary approaches to unravel molecular complexities.The hired researcher should have a background in Biochemistry or related areas with a strong expertise in techniques and methodologies related with immunology and should have the broadness required to forge collaborations with researchers working in Biomedicine related topics.Research in immunology covers a wide range of disciplines that focus on the immune system, its mechanisms and interactions with pathogens and diseases. As a multidisciplinary area, immunology plays a crucial role in current biomedical research, presenting a close connection with numerous other areas, given their interdependencies. This includes several lines of research that have been successfully pursued at BioISI, within the scope of the mission defined in the strategic plan: “to solve emerging complex problems in biology and biomedicine, from molecules to cells, organisms to populations using Systems approaches”.The recruited fellow will contribute to the ongoing lines of research “Integrative molecular pathways and cellular networks” and “Organismal and Populational Systems” and can establish synergies with other plant groups of BioISI and FCUL. The main areas of research will be basic immunology and host-pathogen interactions extending to the study of inflammatory responses in the context of cancer, rare diseases and neurodegenerative diseases (including the study of microglia).As the recruitment will also take place in the context of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (DQB), the recruited fellow will contribute to boost existing synergies within BioSI with pharmacologists, physiology and computational biochemistry, forging interdisciplinary approaches to uncover molecular complexities.The existing know-how at BioISI in the area of immunology has also been a pillar of support for the institutional positioning of Ciências, particularly in terms of the implementation of immunological-based tests at the Science Testing Center and in the integration and representation of Sciences in the National Flow Cytometry Network project (PT Flow-Cyt).Applicants are expected to be fully engaged in all the activities and duties associated with the position, including: (1) Conduct innovative, high-impact, internationally recognized research in computational biochemistry aligned with the above described goals; (2) Interact and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across campus to advance programs from early discovery to applied outputs; (3) Apply to competitive calls at the national/international level for securing external funding; (4) Publish research findings in leading scientific journals; (5) Perform advanced training, supervision and mentoring of graduate students; (6) Take active part in outreach activities.This profile will thus strengthen the structural biology component at both BioISI and DQB.