Cell biology and signalling: spatiotemporal dynamics of growth factor signalling

A 4-year PhD student position is available to study fundamental cellular mechanisms controlling endothelial cell homeostasis. The project will be conducted jointly in the groups of Taija Mäkinen at Uppsala University (www.makinenlab.com) and Ingvar Ferby at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (www.ludwigcancerresearch.org/location/uppsala-branch/ingvar-ferby-lab). The aim is to uncover how spatial and temporal dynamics of growth factor receptor signalling ensure vascular homeostasis (stem cell maintenance, cell-cell junctions and cell polarity). This will be done by using and developing molecular biological methodologies and advanced imaging techniques to enable tracking of cell signalling events in living cells. Furthermore the in vivo implications of novel findings will be explored in vascular explant systems and genetically modified mouse models.

This project utilises the complementary strengths of the two laboratories. Mäkinen’s group is leading in the field of vascular developmental biology and utilises advanced mouse genetic tools (genetic lineage tracing, conditional tissue-specific gene knock-outs) and tissue imaging (confocal, 2-photon and light-sheet microscopy). Ferby’s group are experts in cell biological methodologies exploring the spatiotemporal dynamics of growth factor signalling in the context of epithelial homeostasis and cancer (stem cell maintenance, cell polarity and cell-cell adhesion).

More information about the requirements and the online application form are available at the Uppsala University jobs site:
http://www.uu.se/en/about-uu/join-us/details/?positionId=81006