Post-Doctoral position in Human immunology of malaria liver stage

A post-doctoral position is available in the Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases in Paris (Cimi-Paris) in the context of an ANR-funded collaborative project, ImmaLiv, “Unraveling human CD8 T cell immunity to malaria liver stages”, involving teams in the Cimi-Paris and in Pasteur Institute.Research context and project: Plasmodium falciparum malaria is still a major contributor to the public health burden in the world and no effective vaccine is available yet. The liver stage (LS) is an obligatory and asymptomatic phase of Plasmodium’s life cycle and is thus an ideal target for prophylactic intervention. However, very few P. falciparum LS antigens have been identified so far and, more importantly, none of those has been validated for being associated with protection against LS. Using an in vitro assay already established by the Cimi teams, and transgenic Plasmodium parasites obtained in collaboration with a European partner, you will validate presentation of already known and novel LS antigens to human CD8 T cells by infected human hepatocytes, and characterize effector functions responsible for parasite elimination. You will also generate LS-specific human CD8 T cell lines and clones from malaria-vaccinated volunteers, and characterize their phenotype, function and antiparasitic activity using the aforementioned in vitro assay. You will thus contribute to establish an in vitro preclinical pipeline for identification and validation of potential protective LS antigens for improved malaria vaccine design.Candidate qualification and selection criteria: We seek highly motivated and enthusiastic postdoctoral fellows, able to work independently with excellent communication skills. Applicant should hold a Ph.D. in immunology, ideally in human T cell immunology and/or immunology of infectious diseases, with relevant experience in cell culture, flow cytometry and/or microscopy. Applicant should have the ability to manage her/his own research, to work efficiently as part of a team and is expected to train students. Excellent communication skills in English are essential, including the ability to write for publication. Possessing a Level 1 animal experimentation authorization or equivalent is a bonus.Criteria to evaluate candidates will include academic achievements, past research experience, interest in working in a multidisciplinary research environment.Start and Duration of the appointment: The present position is for 18 months but application to other grants is planned during the project and the applicant is expected to look actively for funding opportunities; salary follows the INSERM grid based on experience.Application: Candidates should send their application including CV, a brief description of research accomplishments in cover letter and the names and contacts of two referees, into a single PDF file to [email protected] and [email protected] #J-18808-Ljbffr