A 3 year post-doctoral position is currently open to study novel immune modulating therapies to Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections, using humanized mouse models, in the Innate Immunity Unit.
Project outline:
Current treatment strategies for HBV are life-long and rarely curative. Although HBV infects hepatocytes, its evasion and modulation of the immune response is key to the pathophysiology.
The goal is to analyze the response to HBV during and after treatment with a combination of antiviral and immune modulating therapies using an immune competent humanized mouse model. Innate and adaptive immunity will be probed to determine whether efficient immune responses may be restored, leading to seroconversion and a functional cure off treatment. We aim to decipher the immune response leading to viral persistence versus viral control and uncover predictive biomarkers of each state.
Environment:
The project is funded through the European Commission H2020 call, in the IP-Cure-B consortium with over 10 research laboratories and an industrial partner. The IP-Cure-B project includes a pre-clinical platform to develop and test novel immunomodulators targeting HBV, as well as a clinical trial with an immunomodulator in virally suppressed chronic HBV patients.
The Institut Pasteur is recognized worldwide as a leader in the field of infectious disease research, it is a highly dynamic and international academic environment in the center of Paris. Research is organized in 130 research units in 11 thematic departments, covering a wide-range of subjects including microbiology and infectious diseases, immunology, neuroscience, developmental biology, genetics and cancer. The candidate will join the Group Humanized mice for infectious disease modeling, in the Innate Immunity Unit within the Immunology Department, and will have access to state-of-the-art platforms (flow cytometry, single cell analysis, animal facilities, BSL3, microscopy and proteomics).
https://research.pasteur.fr/en/team/group-helene-strick-marchand/
Candidate requirements:
Candidates should have a PhD with strong background in Immunology and/or Virology, productive track record, technical expertise with murine models, FACS, molecular biology and cell culture. Applicants should be highly motivated, well organized, proficient in English, and able to work independently as well as collaboratively.
Application:
Applicants should send a CV, letter of motivation including a summary of previous research experience, and contact information for two references to Helene Strick-Marchand (helene.strick-marchand@pasteur.fr).