PRR Project

Summary

The tenured position planned by the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the U.Porto (ICBAS) intends to be attributed to a researcher who possesses a scientific profile in the main scientific area of Medical and Health Sciences, sub-area Human Genetics as Principal Researcher (PR) . The PR will develop their research in the study of disease and health during life course, that is to say, from neurodevelopment to healthy aging, as an autonomous and independent researcher, with a special focus on disease-causing and disease-associated variants and on the identification of genetic modifiers and evaluation of their role in clinical outcomes.The successful candidate will conduct research and become involved in the scientific activities of the Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine (UMIB), located at ICBAS, and will reinforce the pillar ?Hereditary and Genetic diseases'. The PR will be part of the inter-collaboration interface to which UMIB is affiliated, the Associated Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), and will also reinforce one of ITR lines of research ‘Life Course Research and Healthy Ageing'. This research strategy will benefit all associates (ICBAS, UMIB, ITR) by integrating one of the primary research foci of each.ICBAS anticipates to recruit a researcher with a solid scientific profile in Genetics with over 12 years post-doctoral experience and who have demonstrated research independence over the past years. The candidates should have a strong track record of investigating the molecular basis of human genetic disease as well as the molecular and structural interactions between variants, as evidenced by their peer-reviewed publications, substantial experience in mentoring young students (at undergraduate, MSc and PhD level), and should be competitive in attracting research funds at national and/or international level. It is also expected them to be active in knowledge transfer and the dissemination of research findings to the general public.The successful PR is expected to conduct high-level research, to establish a research line and a group at UMIB, by attracting students at various stages of their careers, including MSc and PhD students, as well as young researchers at the Junior or Assistant levels. These recruits will be expected to encourage growth, collaboration and scientific excellence within the team. This will also serve to provide a favorable environment to successfully secure national and international funding to sustain the team’s activities.Considering the profile required for this position, it is anticipated that the candidate will also play a role in the educational activities of ICBAS  by providing students with a unique combination of theoretical knowledge and real research examples in the course of teaching activities. The social impact of the PR R&D activities is another key consideration. The PR is expected to actively engage in a variety of activities related to the dissemination of knowledge both internally and externally. This will include delivering lectures to high school students, and using digital media, press releases and educational videos via the ICBAS Communication Unit to keep the public informed about the main findings of the research conducted.Overall, the hiring institution ICBAS, R&D Unit UMIB, and associated laboratory ITR are seeking a candidate to conduct research on the mutational processes across various life stages as well as on the type of mutations, spanning from neurodevelopment (early life) to healthy aging (later life). The need for this professional arises from the current lack of such expertise, as UMIB does not have a single full-time with this translational profile. A Principal researcher with a stable career and such a profile is also lacking at ICBAS and once established, it could fulfill the strategic plan of the institution that by adopting the motto (“One School, One Health”) is committed to integrative health research.