The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva benefits from an enriching multicultural environment to which it contributes through its teaching, research and its partnership with the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG).

Would you like to participate in the evolution of research on dementia, Alzheimer's disease and dementia prevention? Would you like to collaborate with renowned specialists in this field?

In order to strengthen its dynamic team, the Memory Centre of Professor Giovanni Frisoni (part of the Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics) is looking for a : Post-doctoral fellow (100%) motivated to join our laboratory and contribute to a project focused on developing a probiotic cocktail for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. This ambitious project is part of the broader vision of the Memory Center, which aims to establish effective strategies for preventing Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive disorders in general.

The project is structured around three complementary research areas. The first involves an in-depth analysis of data collected from a human cohort of over 1,000 participants at various stages of the disease (healthy, preclinical, prodromal, and demented). This dataset includes a wide range of omics information, such as shotgun sequencing of the gut microbiome, proteomics, metabolomics, and detailed clinical data. Based on these analyses, a promising probiotic cocktail shall be identified and tested on preclinical murine models. These studies are expected to culminate in an interventional clinical trial targeting the human population.

This project will be conducted in close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team comprising a bioinformatician, a postdoctoral researcher, and two technicians. It is integrated into the Memory Center at the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), which brings together approximately 40 professionals, including physicians, postdoctoral researchers, nurses, neuropsychologists, data managers, and research assistants.

The main tasks of the position are to:

• Lead the team to achieve the ultimate goal of conducting a human clinical trial with a targeted probiotic cocktail in humans within three years;
• Analyze and interpret the existing data;
• Coordinate the collection of necessary data from human and murine models;
• Design and implement preclinical experiments as needed;
• Establish the production or procurement of bacterial strains, as necessary;
• Present results at national and international events/conferences;
• Write scientific publications;
• Prepare additional grant applications as needed.

Requested profile

• The successful candidate must hold a Ph.D. with a specialization in research on the interaction between the microbiota and physiology, with proven experience in this field and strong clinical knowledge.
• Advanced expertise in developing probiotics for human use is essential.
• Experience in statistical analysis applied to omics and metagenomic data, particularly related to the microbiome, would be highly valued.
• Advanced knowledge of the interaction between the microbiota, immune system, and metabolism will be considered an asset, as well as bacteriology skills.
• A background in neurodegenerative diseases would also be advantageous.
• Proficiency in English (minimum C1 level) is required.

Start date: As soon as possible

Additional information: 12-month contract under private funding, renewable.

Contact

Further information can be obtained from Prof. Giovanni Frisoni (

Giovanni.Frisoni@unige.ch).

Link

Application:

Please apply through the University of Geneva website using the following

Link