Postdoctoral position studying cell death of motor neurons

Two years postdoctoral position at INSERM U1065 (C3M)-team 3, Nice, France

on the study of cell death of motor neurons. Starting ASAP.

A two-year postdoctoral position starting ASAP, funded by the French National Research Agency is available in the ‘Metabolic control of cell death’ team (INSERM U1065), located at the Archet Hospital in Nice, south of France.

(http://www.unice.fr/c3m/index.php/research-teams/jean-ehrland-ricci/).

Title: How mitochondrial dysfunction leads to motor neuron disease?

Recently, in close collaboration with Pr. Paquis-Flucklinger, we showed that mitochondrial dysfunction can have a causative effect in motor neuron degeneration. We reported a large family with a mitochondrial myopathy associated with motor neuron disease and cognitive decline looking like frontotemporal dementia (FTD). We identified a missense mutation (p.Ser59Leu) in the HCHD10 gene coding for a mitochondrial protein whose function was unknown (Genin EC et al. EMBO Mol Med 2015 Dec 14:58-72).

We and others reported CHCHD10 mutations in patients with dementia-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTDALS) and familial or sporadic pure ALS.

Project: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a devastating disease affecting upper and lower motor neurons leading to progressive failure of the neuromuscular system and death from respiratory failure. Among all factors involved in ALS pathogenesis, mitochondrial dysfunction has always been recognized as a candidate major player. However, whether mitochondria have a causative role in ALS has been always debated. Our results open a new field to explore the pathogenesis of motor neuron disease by showing that mitochondrial dysfunction may be at the origin of some of these phenotypes.

Our goals are:

(i) to better characterize the role of the CHCHD10 protein on cell death and to compare the effects of

different CHCHD10 mutations leading to different clinical phenotypes,

(ii) to understand how CHCHD10 mutations lead to motor neuron cell death by generating specific human cellular (IPS) and characterizing in vivo models,

Candidate profile:

The candidate should hold a PhD in physiology, pharmacology or related disciplines and have previous expertise in cell culture / characterization of primary neuronal cells.

Practice or knowledge of in vivo animal experimentation techniques as well as in cellular and molecular biology techniques would be appreciated.

How to apply? 

Candidates should send a curriculum vitae with publication list, a short summary of research achievements, and the names and email addresses of at least two references to ricci@unice.fr

Dr. J-E Ricci
INSERM U1065, C3M
Directeur de l'équipe- 3
Batiment Universitaire Archimed
151 Route de Ginestière
BP 2 3194
06204 NICE Cedex 3
Tel 33+ (0)4 89 06 43 04
Fax 33+(0)4 89 06 42 21
Email: ricci@unice.fr

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