Postdoctoral researcher - Developmental Biology & Cancer - H/F
L'entreprise
L’Inserm est le seul organisme public français entièrement dédié à la recherche biologique, médicale et en santé des populations. Il dispose de laboratoires de recherche sur l’ensemble du territoire, regroupés en 12 Délégations Régionales. Notre institut réunit 15 000 chercheurs, ingénieurs, techniciens et personnels administratifs, avec un objectif commun : améliorer la santé de tous par le progrès des connaissances sur le vivant et sur les maladies, l’innovation dans les traitements et la recherche en santé publique.
Rejoindre l’Inserm, c’est intégrer un institut engagé pour la parité et l’égalité professionnelle, la diversité et l’accompagnement de ses agents en situation de handicap, dès le recrutement et tout au long de la carrière. Afin de préserver le bien-être au travail, l’Inserm mène une politique active en matière de conditions de travail, reposant notamment sur un juste équilibre entre vie personnelle et vie professionnelle.
L'Inserm a reçu en 2016 le label européen HR Excellence in Research et s'est engagé à faire évoluer ses pratiques de recrutement et d'évaluation des chercheurs.
Le poste
Institut Cochin
The Institut Cochin is a research center affiliated to INSERM, CNRS, Université Paris Cité. The Institut Cochin is composed of 41 teams and 10 core facilities.
www.institutcochin.fr.
The team « Quantitative Biology of Cells and Embryos » is part of the Institut Cochin located in the center of Paris, 22 rue Méchain – 75014 Paris, France.
team leader: Clotilde Cadart https://institutcochin.fr/equipes/biologie-quantitative-cellule-et-embryon
Postdoctoral researcher - Developmental Biology & Cancer
Goal
We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral researcher to join an ambitious project aimed at understanding how tumorigenesis impacts whole-animal energy expenditure and energy allocation in vivo. This project sits at the interface of developmental biology, metabolism, biophysics, and cancer biology. Our lab is broadly interested in the fundamental processes governing cellular and organismal energetics and how these principles shape animal physiology. We recently developed quantitative approaches to measure whole embryo energy allocation and how it changes with ploidy during development (Cadart et al., Current Biology, 2023). We are now launching a new collaborative effort with the team of Prof. Goldwasser (Hôpital Cochin), pioneers in clinical cancer metabolism, investigating how patient energy expenditure and metabolic state influence cancer progression and response to therapy (Boudou-Rouquette et al., EBioMedicine, 2021; Meyo et al., Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 2024).
The central goal of this project is to establish Xenopus tadpoles as a quantitative, whole-animal model to test how tumor growth perturbs energy production, consumption, and allocation at the organismal scale. This will require developing and integrating novel experimental strategies, rather than applying well-established protocols. The project will include Xenopus embryo manipulation,in vivo imaging of cellular metabolism using FLIM, direct calorimetry measurements, and quantitative analyses linking experimental data to clinical metabolic datasets.
This project is intentionally exploratory. We are therefore looking for a postdoc who is comfortable with uncertainty, enjoys building tools and concepts from scratch, and is motivated by fundamental questions. We offer a highly interactive, interdisciplinary environment with close connections to clinical research, and strong intellectual freedom to shape the direction of the project.
Main activities
•Actively contribute to the development of the project’s conceptual framework and hypotheses, based on literature review and scientific discussions with both teams.
• Define and implement a coherent set of biological, imaging, and quantitative techniques required for the project.
• Set up, optimize, and carry out experimental work (Xenopus embryo manipulation, in vivo metabolic imaging, calorimetry).
• Process, analyze, interpret, and validate experimental data.
• Disseminate, promote, and communicate the scientific results of the project.
• Contribute to regulatory applications related to animal experimentation and GMO use.
• Participate in the preparation of applications for postdoctoral and complementary research funding.
• Contribute to the writing and publication of scientific articles arising from the project.
Team
•The postdoctoral researcher will join a young and dynamic team engaged in ambitious interdisciplinary research.
• The working environment fosters scientific exchange, collaboration with a clinical team, autonomy, and creativity, within an inclusive and stimulating setting.
Profil recherché
Expertise
• Cancer biology
• Animal experimentation (ideally, level II training in Animal Use)
• Classical molecular and cell biology techniques
• Live imaging
• Data analysis
Know-how
You are able to survey the literature and propose your own research hypotheses
• You are able to optimize novel protocols, solve problems, design experiments independently
• You are able to develop a scientific and technological expertise
• You can write scientific documents
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
Abilities
Strong analytical reasoning and critical thinking skills
• Ability to organize and plan research activities
• Interest in collaborative work and scientific interactions
• Autonomy, scientific curiosity, and perseverance when facing exploratory research projects
Experience(s) required
• You hold a PhD in a relevant field (cancer biology, metabolism, developmental biology).
Diploma level
• PhD
Starting date
Flexible (May-July 2026)
Duration
24 months (Renewable)
Working time
Full time, Number of hours per week: 38h30, Annual leave and RTT : 44
Salary
Contract workers: from 2,997.20 € gross per month depending on professional experience in
equivalent positions
Applicants should send their CV, letter of motivation and name of 2 references to:
• Clotilde Cadart
• Email : clotilde.cadart@inserm.fr
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Document(s) :
Candidature facile