Junior research scientist in physiology of eating behavior

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INRAE presentation

INRAE, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment, is a public research organization bringing together 12,000 employees across 272 units in 18 centers across France. As the world’s leading institute specializing in agriculture, food, and the environment, INRAE plays a key role in supporting the necessary transitions to address global challenges.

Faced with population growth, food security challenges, climate change, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss, INRAE is committed to developing scientific solutions and supporting the evolution of agricultural, food, and environmental practices.

INRAE is recruiting researchers by open competition and offering permanent position.

Work environment, missions and activities

You will carry out your work within the mixed research unit Numecan (INRAE, Inserm, University of Rennes), whose research aims to understand the dietary, behavioral, and metabolic determinants of chronic diseases, including liver diseases and metabolic syndrome. Within the affiliated team (EAT team), which seeks to decipher the mechanisms controlling eating behaviors, particularly hyperphagic or even addiction-like behaviors, you will interact with nutrition physiologists, including specialists in intestinal physiology and the microbiota, neuro-behavioral researchers and brain imaging specialists, as well as physicians from the nutrition and addiction departments of the University Hospital.

Based on the current state of knowledge, you will be responsible for implementing a scientific approach aiming to understand the role of interoceptive signals in the control of food reward behaviors, using preclinical models with a translational perspective to ultimately apply this knowledge to humans. Your objective will be to determine how detrimental diets (i.e., hypercaloric or rich in ultra-processed foods, low in dietary fibers, or with poor-quality lipid or sugar), their impact on the gut microbiota, and/or their effects on the intestinal epithelium and/or liver cells, alter the dialogue between peripheral signals and the reward system, leading to hyperphagia, compulsive eating, and even food addiction. Translation to humans will be carried out in collaboration with the research team members conducting clinical studies aimed at identifying neurocognitive correlates of unhealthy, hyperphagic or addiction-like eating habits, and their associations with peripheral signals.

To achieve this, you will design and implement experimental protocols using preclinical in vivo models to address the research questions. You will have access to animal behavioral assessment tools (rodent and pig models) and will have the opportunity to develop new ones if necessary. You will also have access to laboratory equipment and technological platforms enabling the analysis of the biological determinants of these behaviors. You will be expected to present your work to various audiences, supervise students, and apply for funding, research projects, or equipment.

As the unit is located on two sites 15 km apart, you may be required to travel between them. You will be required to travel to the Saint-Gilles site (35590).
Work involving human samples requires vaccination against hepatitis B.

Training and skills

The competition is open to candidates holding a PhD (or equivalent). The use of animal experimentation is required for conducting the research. You have the ability and motivation to develop research in integrative physiology, with strong experience in animal experimentation and behavioral analysis, particularly related to reward processes and their biological determinants. You are proficient in the statistical tools required for analyzing preclinical study data. You have strong skills for working within a research team involving multiple scientific and clinical partners and for managing projects in a multidisciplinary environment. You have the ability and desire to supervise and train students in research. You possess strong writing skills and enjoy communicating your research findings to different audiences. Proficiency in English is required, as well as substantial international experience: candidates who have not yet acquired such experience will be required to undertake a stay abroad following their probationary year.

Your future role explained in video

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from:

- 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.

For international scientists: please visit your guide to facilitate your arrival and stay at INRAE. 

How to apply

1. I download the applicant guide Guide for applicants 2026 pdf - 1.41 MB
2. I write down the profile number CR26-AlimH-3
3. I apply GO