BACKGROUND

A two years post-doctoral position starting in 2007 is open at the Institute of Mathematical Research in Rennes (France) for Computational Systems Biology of Cancer.

This position is created to support the participation of IRMAR to the interdisciplinary project SITCON (Modeling signal transduction induced by a chimeric oncogene) in collaboration with the Curie Institute in Paris and with the computer science laboratory IRISA in Rennes (Symbiose team).

The post doc will be affiliated to the Institute for Mathematical Research and, simultaneously, to the computer science laboratory IRISA on Campus de Beaulieu in Rennes, France.

This job offers true interdisciplinary environement since IRMAR is a a world-class mathematical center and IRISA, a flexible and excellently managed structure supported by INRIA and CNRS. Both laboratories strongly supports interdisciplinarity. Rennes is a small, enjoyable university town, in the pleasant to live Brittany (north-west of France), not far from uniquely beautiful sea coast.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The role of this post-doc is to apply and to extend existent qualitative approaches to heterogeneous data in cancer. These approaches use qualitative equations, graph theoretical methods and polynomial coding in finite fields. Qualitative modeling will be used for three purposes:

1) Construction and correction of graphical models which integrate information from heterogeneous data: micro-arrays, micro-RNA, ChIP-on-chip, CGH, time series. Data is provided by our collaborators in the Curie Institute.

2) Qualitative analysis of transduction pathways and of their cross-talk.

3) Experiment design.

The successful candidate will collaborate with members of the department of mathematics (IRMAR) and of the computer science departement (IRISA, Symbiose project).

REQUIREMENTS

We expect the candidate to have a phD in mathematics, physics, computer science, or computational biology. Experience in modeling molecular mechanisms in biology will be appreciated. It will be
advantageous to be able to demonstrate some knowledge of basic biological mechanisms involved in cancer (regulation of cell cycle, apoptosis, etc.) and to have experience of collaboration with biologists for solving concrete biological problems. Another advantage will be familiarity with standards in Systems Biology (SBML, BioPax) and/or with existing software for pathway modeling. Programming skills are needed. Good communication skills are required.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants should submit a brief letter of motivation (with reference ANR SITCON), a detailed CV with publication list, and the names of at least three referees by e-mail to ovidiu.radulescu[at]univ-rennes1.fr. The applications will be received from November 1, 2006 and until a convenient candidate is found.

DEADLINE

Not later than june 2007.