APPLICATION CLOSING DATE: October 16th, 2025

Human Technopole (HT) is an interdisciplinary life science research institute, created and supported by the Italian Government, with the aim of developing innovative strategies to improve human health. HT is composed of five Centers: Neurogenomics, Computational Biology, Structural Biology, Genomics, and Health Data Science. The Centers work together to enable interdisciplinary research and to create an open, collaborative environment that will help promote life science research both nationally and internationally.

About the job:

The Kalebic Group at Human Technopole is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher in Neurobiology to investigate the interplay between neurodevelopment and cancer biology using cutting-edge 3D patient-derived model systems.

The focus of the project, funded by the  Gilbert Family Foundation (GFF) is neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), an autosomal dominant cancer predisposition syndrome that primarily affects the central and peripheral nervous systems and significantly increases the risk of high-grade gliomas. NF1 is caused by mutations in the NF1 tumour suppressor gene, but the mechanisms driving disease progression and cellular interactions in gliomas remain poorly understood.

The successful candidate will develop and characterize innovative NF1 glioma assembloids, generated by fusing pre-malignant and malignant organoids and co-culturing them with immune cells. These systems will mimic disease progression and enable the study of tumor–neuron and tumor–immune interactions.

The project will leverage organoid culture, state-of-the-art single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, advanced light microscopy, and computational analysis to dissect the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying glioma progression in NF1. The candidate will explore spatial biology across scales and modalities, from neurodevelopmental phenotypes to tumor evolution.

This is an interdisciplinary project at the interface of neurobiology, cancer biology, and immunology, carried out in close collaboration with the Soskic Group, experts in immunogenomics. The postdoc will work within the vibrant scientific community of Human Technopole, interacting closely with researchers in both groups, scientific project manager, HT Service and Facilities, and clinical collaborators in Italy and Austria.

Key tasks and responsibilities:

• Conduct innovative research at the intersection of neurobiology and cancer biology with a strong focus on NF1.
• Develop and implement experimental protocols and computational methods to study cellular interactions in assembloid models of NF1.
• Perform cell culture, microscopy, molecular cell biology and genomics experiments and analyses
• Collaborate closely with members of the Kalebic and Soskic groups, Scientific project manager and HT facilities (Genome engineering & Disease modeling, Light imaging, Genomics, Data handling & analysis).
• Maintain thorough, accurate, and well-organised documentation of research activities in both electronic lab notebooks and shared repositories, ensuring traceability of results and compliance with open science practices.
• Generate publication-quality figures, data visualisation, and written contributions for peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, preprints, grant applications, and public dashboards.
• Publish research outcomes in high-impact journals and present results at internal seminars, international conferences, and workshops, contributing to the scientific visibility of the lab and Human Technopole.
• Mentor and supervise junior scientists (e.g., students, interns) by providing guidance on experimental design, data analysis, coding best practices, and scientific writing.
• Work closely with the PI and senior leadership to define project milestones, allocate resources, and ensure alignment with strategic goals of funded initiative

Job requirements

Essential requirements

• PhD in a relevant area of life sciences (obtained or expected by the 31st December 2025)
• Expertise in brain organoid culture

Preferred requirements

• Background in neurobiology, cancer biology or molecular cell biology
• Expertise in transcriptomic datasets analysis (single cell or spatial)
• Interest in integrating spatial biology approaches across modalities
• Expertise in light microscopy
• Expertise in immunology

Organisational and social skills

• Strong problem-solving and organizational abilities.
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills.
• Networking and public speaking proficiency.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team

Application Instructions

To apply, please send the following:

• a CV.
• a motivation letter in English relating your track record to the specifics of the call (max 1 page)
• names and contacts of 3 referees.

 Why Human Technopole

• HT seeks scientific excellence, we recruit the best scientific talents through international, open calls.
• Our working environment is international, friendly and inclusive. Our scientists work together across disciplines on research topics of biomedical relevance, leveraging synergies between their diverse skillsets and methodological approaches.
• We believe that highly diverse teams yield the best and most innovative results.
• We engage in outward-facing scientific activities aimed at benefiting the national and international research community. Training is also at the heart of our activity, with initiatives and opportunities for our staff, including scientific courses, conferences and workshops.

Main benefits

• Welfare plans.
• Meal delivery service.
• Work-life balance provisions.
• Italian language training for foreigners.
• Parental leave up to 1 year and other support for new parents.
• Flexible working hours.

Special consideration will be given to candidates who are part of the protected categories list, according to L. 68/99.

Number of positions offered: 1

Starting date: by January 1st, 2026

Contract offered: CCNL Chimico Farmaceutico, Fixed-term 3 years with possibility of extension - Employee Level

Salary: 40k 
Tax benefits where applicable.

The position is based in Milan.