Postdoctoral Fellow - Investigating a novel metabolic fuel switch regulator to treat cardiometabolic syndrome Sweden - Gothenburg

R-215173: Postdoctoral Fellow - Investigating a novel metabolic fuel switch regulator to treat cardiometabolic syndrome
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Competitive Salary, Bonus & Benefits Package

Are you passionate about the regulatory mechanisms of fuel metabolism at the molecular level? Are you eager to apply your expertise to uncover the impact of changes in fuel metabolism on the cardio-hepatic cross talk in disease? Then join the cardiovascular, renal and metabolism department at AstraZeneca and unlock the power of what science can do!

About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-centred biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovering, developing, and commercialising prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. But we’re more than a global leading pharmaceutical company. At AstraZeneca, we're dedicated to being a Great Place to Work and empowering employees to push the boundaries of science and fuel their entrepreneurial spirit. 

About our Postdoc Programme
Bring your expertise, apply your knowledge, follow the science, and make a difference. AstraZeneca’s Postdoc Programme is for self-motivated individuals looking to deliver exciting projects in an encouraging, engaging, and innovative environment. You'll work with multidisciplinary scientific teams from a diverse set of backgrounds and a world-class academic mentor specifically aligned to your project. Our postdocs are respected as specialists, encouraged to speak up, and supported to share their research at conferences, publish papers, and achieve their goals.

Make a more meaningful impact in your career, with greater ownership and accountability to make a contribution whilst making a difference to the lives of our patients!

This is a 3-year programme, with an initial 2-year period and a 1-year merit-based extension.

About the Opportunity
The purpose of this position is to provide early-career researchers with an opportunity to further develop their expertise and skills. Postdocs play a crucial role in advancing scientific knowledge and driving innovation in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
As a postdoctoral fellow at AstraZeneca, you will be part of a group of passionate researchers who are dedicated to push the boundaries of patient care by tackling the intricate interplay between cardiac, renal and metabolic health.
Our successful Postdoctoral fellow will join AstraZeneca’s Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM) Department. You will collaborate with a diverse team of scientists, and external academic who are leaders in protein and metabolic analysis using mass spectrometry, all dedicated to maximizing the potential of your project. This multidisciplinary team comprises hands-on scientists who actively engage in daily lab work, bioinformaticians who provide essential data analysis support, and seasoned scientific experts with decades of experience in the field. Together, this well-balanced mix of expertise ensures comprehensive support and guidance as you work towards achieving your project's goals.

Project Focus
As a postdoctoral fellow, you will lead your own project, taking on the crucial role of designing and conducting in vitro and in vivo studies to elucidate the function of the newly discovered fuel metabolic switch regulator. Collaborating with experts, you will facilitate cutting-edge analysis of your samples, including innovative mass spectrometry measurements. Your responsibilities will encompass analysing and interpreting the data, as well as effectively communicating your findings to the scientific community. In this pivotal role, you will be at the heart of the project, orchestrating the contributions of scientific experts to drive forward impactful research.

You will be mentored by Yannick Morias, (Associate Principal Scientist) at AstraZeneca, you'll also receive academic mentorship and guidance from Martin Røssel Larsen and Nils Joakim K. Færgeman (University of Southern Denmark) and Robert McGarrah (Duke University).

What You’ll Do

Our Postdoctoral Fellow will lead an independent project in a supportive and team-oriented environment with the aim to investigate the mechanistic role of a newly discovered metabolic fuel switch regulator at the molecular level. This regulator has shown to have a major impact on metabolic fuel usage in the liver by increasing lipid oxidation and reducing glycolysis. Furthermore, you will explore not only the mechanism underlying the fuel switch governed by this regulator, but also the implications of the hepatic changes on cardiac function. 

Essential Requirements

• A PhD in Biology, Biochemistry, Physiology, Biomedical Sciences or a related field

• Strong Cell and Molecular Biology skills

• Excellent working experience in conducting in vivo studies and isolating cells from different organs

• Expertise in metabolic in vitro experiments

• Proven track-record in leading scientific projects, resulting in publications

• Passionate about science - Your ability to conduct independent and innovative research is vital

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills

• Exceptional collaborator - Working effectively in a team, exchanging ideas, and contributing to joint research efforts.

Our Postdoc programme is aimed at individuals who are either:

• Within 5-years of obtaining their doctoral degree (PhD, DVM, or MD) - PhD already awarded, or

• Students, soon to obtain doctoral degrees (the PhD must be awarded within 6 months of joining AstraZeneca)

Desirable Requirements

• Understanding of transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic data analysis.

• Experience and knowledge of the principles of metabolic regulation

• Appreciation of physiology and interorgan communications

• Understand mechanisms of protein post-translational modifications

Reasons to Apply
This is a unique opportunity to work on a project on the discovery of a new master metabolic fuel switch regulator. The postdoctoral fellow can not only rely on the support of a team of scientists but will also advantage on leveraging existing data. Building further on this data and creating a deeper insight on the mode of action of this new fuel regulator, will not only yield novel information on the hepato-cardiac axis and hepatic fuel metabolism, but it will also be a major contribution to mammalian biology and will lead to high impact publications. 

Why AstraZeneca
The unique positioning of this postdoc within a pharmaceutical company such as AZ, means that you will be able to access large datasets which are not available in the public domain. Moreover, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that methods and techniques you develop will not only be published but will also be used within AZ after the postdoc position concludes, in real-life projects - and that ultimately the work you do will directly impact patients’ lives!

On-Site Working
The position is located at our research site in Gothenburg, Sweden.
As a key member of a research group and taking a leading role on a Postdoctoral project, we expect regular attendance - a minimum of 3 days per week on the AstraZeneca campus. For laboratory-based scientists, this may be higher. 
Given the unique positioning of our Postdoctoral researchers, you may have an additional opportunity to spend some time with an external academic mentor. In this instance, you may be required to spend some of your time working alongside them at their facility as driven by the research project.

Your flexibility to meet the needs of the research and the scope of the project is required and we also look to support you with flexibility in accordance with our standard work policies.

Next Steps
If your passion is science and you want to be part of a team that makes a bigger impact on patients’ lives, then there’s no better place to be. 

This advert will be running from January 2nd 2025 and, we welcome your application as soon as possible, but ahead of the scheduled closing date of January 31st 2025. In the event, that we identify suitable candidates ahead of the scheduled closing date, we reserve the right to close the vacancy earlier than published. 

Find Out More
AstraZeneca CVRM
AZ’s Postdoc Programme 

Relocate to Gothenburg
Life at AstraZeneca
This is what we’re made of

Date Posted

02-jan.-2025

Closing Date

31-jan.-2025

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.