Job Description

Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine invites applications for:

Research Fellow in the Laboratory of Assistant Professor Yasunori Saheki

Two postdoc positions are available in the laboratory of cell biology and molecular neuroscience at Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), a joint medical school between Imperial College London and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore.

The demographic shift caused by population ageing is rapidly increasing the burden of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Making matters worse, there is still no cure for any neurodegenerative disease despite decades of research. Thus, identifying new therapeutic targets for combatting these diseases is an urgent need for our societies. Importantly, neurodegeneration and age-associated decline in cognitive function are often associated with changes in the lipid composition of neurons. Thus, processes that facilitate lipid synthesis, transport, and homeostasis are potential targets for developing new therapies to prevent or even reverse age-associated cognitive dysfunction and neurodegeneration. However, the cellular machinery responsible for maintaining cellular lipid homeostasis is largely undescribed. To bridge this knowledge gap, we have been investigating the general principles of cellular lipid homeostasis and how these pathways are critical for neuronal and brain function. We employ the combination of mammalian cell biology, biochemistry, and C. elegans genetics to tackle this challenge. For more information of our lab, please visit .

We are among the core members of Neuroscience and Mental Health Programme (NMHP) at LKCMedicine ( ). NMHP currently hosts 14 independent labs, whose specialty range from molecular neuroscience, genetics to systems neuroscience. We will foster reciprocal interactions between the members of the lab and the members of the NMHP and NTU life science clusters including, but not limited to, LKCMedicine, School of Biological Sciences, Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) and the NTU Institute of Structural Biology.

Our lab is housed in the Clinical Sciences Building, a crown jewel of LKCMedicine and the centerpiece of Health City Novena ( ). It is located within the central region of Singapore, just two subway stops away from Orchard, the retail and entertainment hub of the city-state. We provide direct access to nearby hospitals and national institutes, including the Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the National Neuroscience Institute.

Our lab is built on diversity, mutual respect, teamwork, and collaboration, with a special emphasis on providing mentorship for young talent, including students and postdocs. We will provide exciting opportunities and vibrant atmospheres as well as state-of-arts core facilities. We also offer a highly attractive remuneration package including competitive salary and fringe benefits. Excited and motivated individuals are all encouraged to apply.

Job Responsibilities:

Carry out an independent research project and collaborate with other researchers.

Supervise junior members of the lab, including graduate students and undergraduate interns.

Keep a log of lab materials as necessary (e.g., cell lines, plasmid DNAs, proteins, C. elegans strains, and other essential reagents).

Present research at lab meetings and national/ international conferences.

Skills and qualifications:

Candidates should have a PhD or equivalent in any relevant field of life sciences with a demonstrated record of excellent problem-solving skills.

Self-motivated and well-organized with good communication and technical skills.

Experience in either one of the following fields: cell biology, mice or invertebrate genetics, imaging and/ or biochemistry (e.g., protein purification, in vitro reconstitution) is essential.

Be able to work independently and collaborate effectively in a highly diverse and interdisciplinary team.

Application Procedure:

Interested applicants can apply with cover letter (including a statement of previous and current research experiences), CV and names/ contact details of at least two references.

Hiring Institution: LKC

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