Postdoc Position in the Development of in Vitro Models of the BBB to Investigate the Efficacy of Innovative Biotherapeutics against CNS Diseases

For a collaboration project between the Bio Engineering Laboratory (Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering of ETH Zurich in Basel) and Novartis AG, Basel, Switzerland, we are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic Postdoc. The candidate will have a unique opportunity to collaborate across scientific and organizational boundaries with a focus on developing powerful new technologies that have the potential of therapeutic breakthroughs for patients.

In this collaborative effort, the Postdoc will develop and use in vitro models of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to advance the preclinical selection of novel biotherapeutics for the treatment of central-nervous-system diseases. The BBB is a major obstacle for the delivery of therapeutics to the disease site and the reason for high drug attrition rates during clinical testing. A key limiting factor in the translation of promising drug candidates from research to clinical settings is the low predictivity of animal models as a consequence of species-dependent BBB differences between humans and animals.

In this project, we aim at exploring how in vitro models can be leveraged to improve preclinical drug selection, in particular for gene therapy development. Building on the group expertise in blood-brain-barrier platforms, the postdoc will develop new in vitro models of the human and mouse blood-brain-barrier and benchmark the in vitro models for preclinical and clinical investigations. After validation of the models, the postdoc will work in close collaboration with researchers at Novartis AG to test whether the developed models can be used to expedite the selection of candidate therapeutics, in particular for gene therapy.

The successful candidate should have a background in bioengineering and biotechnology or related fields, with a preference for experience with microfluidics and advanced in vitro models, transport across endothelial barriers, and viral vectors. Experience in optical microscopy is highly beneficial. Further, knowledge of standard molecular biology techniques and NGS technologies will be considered advantageous for this position. Good communication skills and a proactive work attitude are required for working in the interdisciplinary field of preclinical testing and drug development. The Postdoc must be able to fluently communicate in English (oral and written) and be willing to work in a highly interactive and collaborative international environment. The researcher will work at the intersection of academic and industrial research with access to resources and expertise from both institutions.

Academic excellence, a professional work attitude, and a self-driven nature are expected. The position is fully funded for initially 2 years, an extension to up to 4 years is possible. The starting date is flexible but must be before 10-2024.