Call for Applications for Three Postdoctoral Positions

  1. Postdoctoral position 1 (Department of Public Health): “Employment and residential precariousness and health”.
  2. Postdoctoral position 2 (Department of Infectious Diseases and Pediatric Immunology): “Early Origins of Allergic Diseases”.
  3. Postdoctoral position 3 (Department of Pathology): “Patient-derived organoids for personalized radiotherapy”.

The School of Medicine (SoMed) at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC) invites interested candidates to apply for a postdoctoral position.

The UC usually ranks top three in the QS University Ranking for Latin America. The UC is committed to the provision of equal opportunities, the construction of a more inclusive, diverse, and fraternal community, and the promotion and development of the careers of all academic members. The University is committed to the values of diversity regarding the origin, gender, and ethnicity to build a more diverse and inclusive community. In this context, women applications are especially encouraged.

This call is part of the UC Postdoctoral Fellowship competition for up to two-year of financial support (see details in Spanish); therefore, postdoctoral fellows selected at the School of Medicine should be prepared to develop a research proposal by August 30, 2024, with the assistance of their respective Sponsor Investigator to apply to the call.

Role description: The applicant should have a publication track record in the line of his or her interest, and the potential to obtain external research funds (ANID or other).c Applicants should be proactive in pursuing independent research lines and able to work collaboratively and interdisciplinarily. They should also have experience working in higher education and healthcare-related work environments.

The postdoctoral position will be part of an interdisciplinary environment, where he/she will be able to interact with academics in diverse research areas from clinical and preclinical medicine, public health, and epidemiology, among others.

Key Responsibilities

  • To submit a research project proposal to the UC Postdoctoral Fellowship competition by August 30, 2024.
  • To establish collaborations with researchers in SoMed or other academic units within the UC Chile aiming to develop interdisciplinary research.
  • To obtain competitive external research funding within the 2-years period.
  • Assist in collaborative proposal writing and securing additional funding for future research initiatives.
  • Publish research findings in high-impact scientific journals and present at international conferences.
  • To develop outreach activities with an impact on society and the general public.
  • Contribute to the mentoring and supervision of PhD students and technical staff.

Benefits

If the research project is awarded in the UC Postdoctoral Fellowship competition, the benefits to be granted are as follows.

  • Postdoctoral salary: 26 million CLP annually for a maximum period of 2 years.
  • Installation funding up to a maximum of 2.5 million CLP (1st year) for foreigners and those relocating to Chile from abroad. Partial resources for relocation from other locations within the national territory may also be provided. Additional support for researchers with family groups may be offered as needed.
  • Equipment and Investment resources totaling 4.5 million CLP as a one-time allocation at the start of the project.
  • Contractual arrangements as appropriate.
  • Academic appointment at the academic unit (SoMed) hosting the approved proposal (https://investigacion.uc.cl/postdoctorados/).
  • Use of UC services and facilities for project development as defined by the academic unit.
  • Compliance with UC Postdoctoral Researcher Regulations.

General Requirements

  • Hold a doctoral (PhD) degree . The doctoral degree must have been obtained by September 2nd 2024 and no more than 2 years prior to the start date of the UC Postdoctoral Fellowship competition. For female applicants who have had children in the past 2 years, an additional year per child can be counted.
  • To submit a research proposal, which should include at least a description of the theoretical-conceptual foundations of the research to be developed, the state of the art, research question(s) or hypothesis, objectives, methodology, work plan or Gantt chart, and the scientific or technological novelty of the proposal, as well as a justification of the requested resources. Research topic must be embedded within one of the three research areas detailed below.
  • Participation in peer-reviewed scientific publications
  • To provide a letter of intent, a degree certificate, and a Curriculum Vitae.
  • Fluency in written and spoken English.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present research findings clearly to both scientific and lay audiences.

Application

Candidates should submit the following documents to the academic secretary at the School of Medicine mvinagrec@uc.cl (with the subject “Application to Postdoctoral Position” and research line) by August 20, 2024.

  1. Fill out the application (form available HERE)
  2. Provide an up-to-date curriculum vitae in English and a Letter of intent.
  3. Request two confidential letters of recommendation that should be sent directly to mvinagrec@uc.cl
  4. Copy of the PhD degree.

A person of foreign nationality and who applies from abroad, in case of being selected for the position, will be required to have the corresponding visa, obtained from the consulate in the country of origin, in order to be incorporated into the academic staff of the University.

For questions about the process please contact to Academic Secretary, School of Medicine Office for Research at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, mvinagrec@uc.cl.

For questions about the research line please contact to Sponsoring Researcher.

Research lines details

1) Postdoctoral position 1: Employment and residential precariousness and health

Sponsoring Researcher: Dr. Alejandra Vives V., MD, PhD. alejandra.vives@uc.cl

Department of Public Health, School of Medicine.

Abstract: There is currently abundant evidence on the relationship between employment conditions and health, and between place of residence (neighborhood, housing) and health, and conceptual and methodological developments to measure employment precariousness multidimensionally (validated and used in Chile) and incipient proposals for residential precariousness (without national experience). The latter, however, do not generally consider key elements for large metropolitan cities in Latin America, such as socioeconomic spatial segregation. Consequently, international studies do not consider aspects such as location, and understand the employment-housing relationship in a unidirectional manner. Spatial socioeconomic segregation is especially critical in the Chilean case, where there is no city government that can mitigate its effects. To advance along these lines in the national and Latin American context, conceptual and operational development of residential precariousness and epidemiological studies to explore the relationship between residential and labor precariousness, and of different combinations of both with health. In Chile, longitudinal data (the RUCAS project: 7 waves between 2019 and 2023) measuring residential and employment precariousness for two cohorts of residents in two urban social housing villas will allow to construct combined trajectories of labor and residential precariousness and their relationship with health, whether physical or mental, in these populations. At the national-level, secondary data can be used for cross-sectional or longitudinal analysis, employing proxy indicators of the constructs. At the regional level, secondary harmonized data from the SALURBAL project can be used for cross-sectional analyses across cities in Latin America.

Specific requirements

  • Advanced statistical skills,
  • Experience in social determinants of health research, ideally employment and/or urban health
  • Qualitative research skills (desirable)
  • Teaching experience (desirable)
  • Interdisciplinary teamworking competencies
  • Ambition and commitment to become an independent researcher

2) Postdoctoral position 2: Early Origins of Allergic Diseases

Sponsoring Researcher: Dr. Arturo Borzutzky S., MD. aborzutz@uc.cl

Department of Infectious Diseases and Pediatric Immunology, School of Medicine.

Abstract: Following the principles of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, the Translational Allergy and Immunology Laboratory at UC Chile School of Medicine has studied early determinants of incidence and severity of allergic diseases, with a special focus on atopic dermatitis. We have recently studied vernix caseosa obtained from newborn skin immediately after delivery and through analysis of vernix, we showed for the first time how maternal obesity imprints the newborn epidermis integrity and staphylococcal colonization leading to increased risk of infant AD. These findings were recently published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and have raised considerable interest in the field. In addition, we have analyzed the properties of vernix and its effects on the epidermal barrier and immunity, with the prospect of translating our findings to novel methods of prevention and treatment of atopic dermatitis and other allergic and skin diseases. We have also developed a birth cohort focused on the effect of the first 1000 days (pregnancy + first two years) on allergic diseases. We have biobanked numerous and diverse samples including those required for genetic studies, microbiome, and exposome, to better understand factors influencing allergic development.

Specific requirements:

  • PhD Degree: Candidates must hold a PhD in Biomedical Sciences, Immunology, or a related field.
  • Experience with Allergic and/or Skin Disease Research: Prior research experience specifically focused on allergic and o/or skin diseases, particularly atopic dermatitis, is highly desirable.
  • Translational Research: Experience in human studies and translational research, including taking findings from basic research through to potential clinical application. Knowledge on product development and biotechnological pipelines would be an advantage.
  • Proficiency in relevant laboratory techniques, including but not limited to the following are highly desirable: Cell and tissue/organoid culture experience, Molecular biology techniques (PCR, qPCR, Western blotting), Immunological assays (ELISA, flow cytometry), Epidermal barrier and integrity assays, Biobank Management.
  • Strong skills in statistical analysis and bioinformatics are desirable.
  • Ability to design, conduct, and manage independent research projects.
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
  • Ability to think creatively and propose novel approaches for translating research findings into practical applications.
  • Experience in writing grant applications and securing research funding.
  • Willingness and ability to mentor junior researchers and contribute to the academic environment of the lab.

3) Postdoctoral position 3: Patient-derived organoids for personalized radiotherapy

Sponsoring Researcher: Dr. Patricia García M., PhD. pgarciam@uc.cl

Department of Pathology, School of Medicine.

Abstract: Radiotherapy (RT) is a highly effective cancer treatment, that is used in nearly 60% of patients with either curative or palliative purposes. Response rates, however, vary widely depending on tumor type, intrinsic radiosensitivity, particle type, and technique, directly affecting local disease control and patient survival rates. Personalizing RT based on biological patterns that predict tumor radiosensitivity could lead to more precise radiation dose prescriptions, using radiosensitizers, or even replacing RT with other modalities. A promising development in this area is the use of patient-derived organoids, which have shown potential in predicting RT responses and are approved by the FDA as a preclinical drug evaluation model. We seek a postdoctoral candidate to establish an independent research line focused on developing innovative predictive models for radiotherapy response in rectal and breast cancer using patient-derived organoids, and artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The successful applicant will conduct high-impact research, work with 3D culture models, analyze biological, dosimetric, and clinical data, and supervise PhD and undergraduate students. Additionally, the postdoctoral researcher will participate in writing scientific papers, project reports, and grant applications. This interdisciplinary research opportunity aims to advance precision oncology with robust support and collaboration from a solid multidisciplinary team of researchers in Medical Physics, Oncology, and Biological disciplines.

Specific requirements:

  • A Ph.D. in a relevant field such as Biology, Biomedicine, Biotechnology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, or similar.
  • Experience in cell culture, ideally in handling and culturing 3D patient-derived cell cultures will be an advantage.
  • Familiarity with radiotherapy techniques, dosimetry, and experimental radiation biology is desirable but not critical.
  • General knowledge of AI, machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) applications in medicine/biology.
  • Experience integrating ML or DL (convolutional neural networks -CNN-) with biological and clinical data for predictive modeling is desirable.
  • A strong problem-solving attitude and the ability to work independently and as part of a research team.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively disseminate research findings, write grants and secure research funding.