Job Description

The successful candidate will lead discovery/development program in microbe/host interactions in human skin. Skin fungi, specifically Malassezia, have been shown to modulate human skin cytokine produc The successful candidate will lead discovery/development program in microbe/host interactions in human skin. Skin fungi, specifically Malassezia , have been shown to modulate human skin cytokine production. Malassezia also produce lipid products which interact with and regulate the human immune response. This project aims to leverage previously developed methods to analyse the lipid component of human skin and identify crosstalk signalling molecules involved in communication between the skin and its microbial community, with an intent to identify molecules which can be leveraged to reduce inflammation and improve skin health. The candidate will lead a team with a graduate (PhD) student and a research officer/technician. The team will split time between the Skin Microbiome and Fungal Physiology labs of the ASTAR Skin Research Labs at Novena. The candidate will preferably have experience in fungal microbiology and/or human skin biology, particularly in microbe/host interaction. The project is with a translational program including basic fungal pathology, virulence, and genomics, human immunology, and human clinical studies. Hence, the candidate will need collaboration skills and the ability to work on fast-paced, multifunctional environment. Aspects of the program will involve collaboration with commercial/industrial partners. Requirements: . PhD in Biomedical Sciences or other relevant disciplines . Minimum 5 years experience with standard microbiological techniques, including eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbial biology. . Experience with standard mammalian cell culture, molecular techniques such as PCR, qPCR, and PR-PCR strongly favored. . Strong experience and interest in advanced genetic/genomic techniques. . Interest in and familiarity with genomics and transcriptomics. . Scientific curiosity, ability to work independently, desire to learn new skills. . Ability and willingness to work in diverse global teams and liaise with industrial partners. . Excellent verbal and written communication skills. The above eligibility criteria are not exhaustive. A.STAR may include additional selection criteria based on its prevailing recruitment policies. These policies may be amended from time to time without notice. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.