Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Laboratory of Dr. Norman Pavelka) / SIgN A*STAR : Singapore, Singapore

About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR)*

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector agency that spearheads economic oriented research to advance scientific discovery and develop innovative technology. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit society.

As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by contributing to societal benefits such as improving outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability.

We play a key role in nurturing and developing a diversity of talent and leaders in our Agency and Research Institutes, the wider research community and industry. A*STAR oversees 18 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis.

The Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), officially inaugurated on 15 January 2008, is a research institute under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)'s Biomedical Research Council. The mandate of SIgN is to advance human immunology research and participate in international efforts to combat major health problems. Since its launch, SIgN has grown rapidly and currently includes 250 scientists from 26 different countries around the world working under 28 renowned principal investigators. At SIgN, researchers investigate immunity during infection and various inflammatory conditions including cancer and are supported by cutting edge technological research platforms and core services.

Through this, SIgN aims to build a strong platform in basic human immunology research for better translation of research findings into clinical applications. SIgN also sets out to establish productive links with local and international institutions, and encourage the exchange of ideas and expertise between academic, industrial and clinical partners and thus contribute to a vibrant research environment in Singapore.

For more information about A*STAR and SIgN, please visit http://www.a-star.edu.sg and http://www.sign.a-star.edu.sg respectively.

A Research Fellow (postdoc) position is available in the laboratory of Dr Norman Pavelka at the Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN). The position will be for 3 years and will be partially funded by an A*STAR Investigatorship award to Dr Norman Pavelka.

The long-term goal of the Pavelka lab is to reach a systems-level understanding of the fundamental principles that underlie the ecology and evolution of host-microbe interactions, and to translate these findings into prevention and cure of infectious diseases. Our main working hypothesis is that the human host (which is composed of 1 part human cells and 9 parts microbial cells) is a complex ecological network that acts as a selective environment for the evolution of both resident and environmentally acquired microbes. These selective forces in turn drive pathogenic microbes to evolve virulence traits, immune escape mechanisms and strategies of colonization and invasion. The main microbe studied in the lab is the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans, a harmless commensal in most healthy subjects, but an opportunistic pathogen in individuals with a compromised immune system or with a perturbed microbiome. To study the complex and dynamic interactions between the host, the fungus and the microbiome, we perform systematic genetic screens, high-throughput phenotypic profiling, evolution experiments, in vitro and in vivo analyses of immune responses, and mouse colonization and virulence assays, coupled with genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and metagenomics analyses.

Requirements:

• Ph.D. in Microbiology, Immunology or related field
• Few years of postdoctoral experience preferred
• Experience in medical mycology, fungal immunology or microbiome research
• Prior exposure to 'omics' data preferred
• Excellent publication record and reference letters
• Team player with enthusiastic personality and great interpersonal skills
• Self-motivated, independent and passionate about research