Postdoc in Signalling Heterogeneity in Space and Time - DTU Bioengineering

If you have extended experience in imaging and imaging analysis from two- and three-dimension (3D) cell culture and your aspiration is to be at the forefront of system biology and single-cell analysis of cell signalling, this three-years postdoc position at DTU Bioengineering will fulfil your scientific and personal development in an international, multi-disciplinary, and curiosity-driven research team. 

This position will be affiliated with the teams of Associate Professors Chiara Francavilla and Erwin Schoof in the Section for Medical Biotechnology at the Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark. You will work on regulatory mechanisms of cell signalling downstream of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases using mammalian cells grown in 3D cell cultures and will develop imaging-driven quantitative Mass Spectrometry-based omics methods, both at bulk population and single-cell levels, for this project. You will work closely with experts in cellular signalling, proteomics, and bioinformatics to make informed decisions on data analysis and validation experiments. 

Dr Francavilla’s team is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and LEO Foundation and focuses on regulatory mechanisms of cell signalling in several cellular models. The team combines omics technologies with bioinformatics, and functional validation of candidates by biochemical, cell biology, and imaging methods (see for instance, Smith, Ferguson et al., EMBO J., 2021; Watson, Ferguson et al., Nat Comm, 2022; Ogden et al., NAR Cancer, 2023; Madzharova E et al., 2024). This international, passionate, and multidisciplinary team will work in close collaboration with the Francavilla-led team at the University of Manchester, UK, and with several scientists with diverse background in Denmark and abroad. 

Dr Schoof’s team is internationally recognised for pioneering methods and applications of Mass Spectrometry-based single-cell proteomics. He leads the Cell Diversity Lab, whose mission is to unravel fundamental biological concepts controlling heterogeneity within complex biological systems, especially those of the blood system and cancer. Relevant publications include Schoof, Furtwängler et al., Nat Comm 2021, Petrosius et al., Nat Comm 2023, Petrosius et al. MCP 2025, Daucke et al., BioRxiv 2025, Üresin et al., BioRxiv 2024 and Furtwängler et al, BioRxiv 2024. Their ultimate ambition is to translate the molecular insights derived from a range of modalities (DNA, mRNA and proteins) to in-depth knowledge about how cellular heterogeneity contributes to disease phenotypes and ultimately, development of effective and personalized therapeutic strategies.

Responsibilities
Your main responsibilities will be:

• Develop and apply quantitative methods for imaging of signaling molecules in mammalian cell cultures grown in both 2D and 3D cell cultures under several perturbations
• Develop and apply methods for the analysis of the cellular proteome both at cell type, and single-cell level, based on imaging results and recent spatial proteomics workflows
• Perform imaging and omics data analysis and data integration and validate key results using functional assays in cell culture and in patient-derived samples
• Plan and collaborate on research activities with team members and external partners
• Stay updated with relevant literature and methodologies, maintain and share accurate records of findings with the team
• Present findings to the team, supervisor, and scientific community, promoting the lab's reputation, write reports for sponsors, research grants, and submit publications to journals
• Teach, supervise, and mentor undergraduate, PhD, and Master students
• Undertake agreed administrative tasks

We expect the candidate to have following qualifications:

• Must hold a PhD in Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, or similar disciplines
• Extensive and up-to-date theoretical and practical knowledge and strong record in the fields of imaging using confocal and more advanced microscopes (ideally including Leica Laser Capture Microdissection microscope), signal transduction, and 3D cell culture
• Experience with data analysis and visualization (e.g. R environment and Cytoscape; Imaris)
• At least one publication in relevant peer-reviewed international journals demonstrating the above-mentioned skills
• Good communication skills and ability to work with colleagues at all levels and proven ability to undertake a complex workload with multiple and competing priorities without supervision
• High level written and spoken English
• A willingness to contribute to the work of others by offering practical and intellectual help
• Be enthusiastic, committed, hard-working, and self-motivated in