Assistant (post-doc) interested in conducting behavioural and biochemical research at the Department of Neurobiology IP PAS. Project Leader: Professor Gabriel Nowak, PhD

Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences (further called Institute or IP PAS) announces a competition for the position of assistant (post-doc) at the Department of Neurobiology to implement tasks in the NCN OPUS 28 (2024/55/B/NZ7/02644) “Integrated Fixed-Dose Combination Drugs in Depression Therapy: A New Standard of Treatment and Mechanism of Action Study“.

We are seeking an assistant (post-doc) interested in conducting behavioural and biochemical research at the Department of Neurobiology IP PAS.

Project Leader: Professor Gabriel Nowak, PhD

 A candidate for the position of an assistant (post-doc) should meet the following conditions:

1. PhD in biological, medical or related sciences obtained not earlier than 12 years before the year of employment in the project. This period does not include breaks related to maternity leave, additional maternity leave, leave on the terms of maternity leave, additional leave on the terms of maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave granted on the terms specified in the provisions of the Labor Code or receiving a sickness benefit or a rehabilitation benefit due to incapacity for work, including due to an illness requiring rehabilitation. In the case of women, the indicated 12-year period may be extended by 18 months for each born or adopted child. A woman can choose a more favorable way to indicate breaks in her research career;
2. Experimental experience in laboratory work: western blotting technique, histological staining, immunoenzymatic assays, confirmed by publications;
3. Experience in conducting research projects and managing research grants (NCN, FNP, and others implemented with funding allocated for internal scientific projects within research institutions);
4. Experience in working with animals as well as completed and certified PolLASA training
   (or an equivalent document) for those planning and performing procedures and experiments with the use of laboratory animals and killing animals used in procedures in accordance with the Act on the protection of animals used for scientific and educational purposes (as in Journal of Laws of 2023, item 465);
5. Experience in conducting research projects using the chronic restraint stress (CRS) mouse model, as well as in performing behavioral tests such as the Tail Suspension Test (TST), Locomotor Activity (LA), Novelty-Suppressed Feeding Test (NSFT), Female Urine Sniffing

Test (FUST), Sucrose Preference Test (SPT) and other standard behavioral assays used in rodent models of stress and depression, documented by publications;

6. Experience in the dissection and isolation of internal organs (including liver, spleen, kidneys, intestines, adrenal glands, thymus, and heart) as well as brain structures
   (e.g. hippocampus, prefrontal cortex) for analytical purposes (biochemical, molecular,
   or histological analyses);Knowledge in the fields of genetics, neurobiology, pharmacology, including behavioral pharmacology, and biochemistry. Knowledge of the serotonergic system, including serotonin receptors, as well as the impact of zinc homeostasis disturbances on nervous system function, is highly desirable;
7. Knowledge of genetics, neurobiology, pharmacology, including behavioral pharmacology and biochemistry. Knowledge of the serotonergic system, including serotonin receptors and impact of zinc homeostasis disorders on nervous system functions is recommended;
8. Scientific achievements documented in the form of scientific publications in journals of international scope (a minimum of 3 publications) with first authorship;
9. Ability to work in a team as well as independent scientific work;
10. The competition is open to individuals who have obtained a doctoral degree from an institution other than IP PAS or who have completed at least a 10-month continuous and documented postdoctoral fellowship at an institution other than the one implementing the project and in a country other than the country in which the doctoral degree was obtained;
11. In the event of winning the competition and starting work on the project, the candidate may not receive any other remuneration from the funds awarded under direct costs under NCN calls, as well as be employed under another contract of employment;
12. Fluency in spoken and written English;
13. Impeccable ethical attitude.

ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE:

1. Proficiency in Polish.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

1. Carrying out the behavioural procedures planned in the project in a model of chronic restrain stress in mice;
2. Conducting behavioral tests related to the assessment of antidepressant, anxiolytic and stress-resilience activities;
3. Conducting experiments using biochemical and molecular methods;
4. Performing statistical analyzes of all research results;
5. Preparation of the manuscripts for publication and presentation of the obtained results during scientific conferences;
6. Strict adherence to the code of ethics of Polish Academy of Sciences employee;
7. Adherence to rules and regulations in force at the IP PAS.

 CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Full-time employment in the project on the basis of an employment contract for a period of
36 months.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

1. Application for employment for the above-mentioned position together with a cover letter with a description of scientific interests;
2. List of information about the candidate in accordance with Appendix 1 to the Form;
3. Personal questionnaire for a person applying for employment in accordance with Appendix 2 to the Form;
4. A copy of the doctoral diploma or a certificate of obtaining a doctoral degree;
5. Short self-presentation;
6. A copy of the certificate of completion of training in conducting research with the use of laboratory animals;
7. Contact details of persons who can provide information about the candidate and who agreed to be contacted;
8. Certificate of English language proficiency, if available;

9. Declaration of the primary workplace and affiliation of research and publications in accordance with Appendix 3 to the Form;
10. Information on the processing of personal data in accordance with Appendix 4 to the Form;
11. A declaration of impeccable ethical attitude in accordance with Appendix 5 to the Form.

Applications along with the required documentation should be sent in electronic form to the following e-mail address: ifpan@if-pan.krakow.pl by August 12, 2025.

The message’s title should indicate which competition the application concerns: “Competition – assistant (post-doc) at the Department of Neurobiology IP PAS, Opus 28 grant”.

The competition winner will be selected from among those meeting the formal requirements based on the analysis of documents and possible interviews.

Please be advised that we will contact only selected candidates and will not return the submitted documents. We reserve the right to void the competition without giving any reason.

 For additional information, please contact:

Bernadeta Szewczyk, PhD – Coordinator of the project from the side of IP PAS, +48 12/6623242

 Date of the competition announcement – July 24, 2025

Deadline for submitting applications – August 12, 2025

Date of the competition settlement – August 20, 2025