Introduction

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

Presentation

The group of Prof. Alexis Jourdain at the University of Lausanne invites applications for a postdoc position. We are a dynamic team of international researchers composed of 3 postdocs, 3 PhD students, 1 master student and 2 technicians. The expertise present at the Department of Immunobiology and the University of Lausanne, as well as our ongoing collaborations with laboratories at the University of Geneva, CHUV and EPFL, offers an ideal place for a postdoc to thrive. The spoken language in the team and the department is English.

Project: Nucleotide metabolism in physiology and cancer . This in vivo project, funded by the Swiss Cancer League, directly builds on our recent publication on the role of uridine in physiology and cancer (Skinner et al., Nature Metabolism 2023; see also the accompanying paper by Nwosu et al., Nature 2023). We discovered that uridine and RNA can support glycolysis when glucose is scarce. Uridine is highly abundant in our diet and is the most prevalent nucleoside in circulation, as well as in the tumor microenvironment, where glucose is often limited (see our recent review by Strefeler et al., Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism 2024). Certain cancers, such as melanoma, glioma, and pancreatic cancer, depend on uridine for development, making uridine catabolism an attractive pharmacological target in cancer metabolism.

We have recently generated two knockout mouse models with partial impairment in uridine catabolism and identified inhibitors of uridine catabolism in cell culture. This project aims to:

• Cross and characterize these mouse models in terms of physiology, in cancer development and anti-cancer immunity in vivo.

• Further evaluate the inhibitors in vitro and as potential cancer treatments in vivo.

Prerequisites: Experience with mouse models, experience with cancer models is a strong plus.

IMPORTANT: Please send your full application in PDF format with a cover letter briefly describing your previous work and publications, why you think you are a good candidate for this project, and how it fits in your career plan.

Further information can be found at: www.jourdainlab.org

Job information

Expected start date in position: spring or summer 2025 (flexible)

Contract length: 1 year, renewable 2x 2 years, maximum 5 years

Employment rate: 100%

Workplace: Biopôle, Epalinges (Lausanne area)

Your responsibilities

In your activities, you will have to:

• Lead independent research project(s)


• Supervise Master students 


• Contribute to collaborative team projects.

Your qualifications

In order to complete our team, we are looking for someone with the following skills : 

• Experience working with mouse models


• Self-motivated, enthusiastic for science, determination are a must


• High communication skills for teamwork


• Ph.D. in a relevant discipline, e.g. metabolism, cancer


• At least one original 1st author manuscript published or close to publication (incl. in BioRxiv)


• Strong spoken and written competency in English (French is not necessary).

Are a strong plus:

• Experience with cancer models in vivo


• Eligibility for postdoctoral fellowships (e.g. EMBO or similar).

What the position offers you

We offer a nice working place in a multicultural, diverse and dynamic academic environment. Opportunities for professional training, a lot of activities and other benefits to discover.

Contact for further information

Prof. Alexis Jourdain (E-Mail schreiben)

Tél : 021 692 57 41

(email is the preferred method of contact).

Your application

Deadline : 01.03.2025

Please, send your full application in Word or PDF.

Only applications through this website will be taken into account.

We thank you for your understanding.

Additional information

UNIL is committed to:
•    equality, diversity and inclusion within its community;
•    ensuring an open and respectful environment that is conducive to personal development;
•    offering working conditions that facilitate work-life balance;
•    supporting early career researchers.

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