Postdoctoral researcher in Human Microbiome and Treatment Response

Back to jobs listing

INRAE presentation

The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) is a major player in research and innovation. It is a community of 12,000 people with 272 research, experimental research, and support units located in 18 regional centres throughout France. Internationally, INRAE is among the top research organisations in the agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences, as well as in ecology and environmental science. It is the world’s leading research organisation specialising in agriculture, food and the environment. INRAE’s goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. Faced with a growing world population, climate change, resource scarcity, and declining biodiversity, the Institute has a major role to play in building solutions and supporting the necessary acceleration of agricultural, food and environmental transitions.

Work environment, missions and activities

You will be welcomed within the MICALIS unit (Food Microbiology for Health; UMR INRAE-AgroParisTech, https://www.micalis.fr/), located on the Jouy-en-Josas research campus (near Versailles/Massy; RER station 800 m away, bus stop in the immediate vicinity). You will be part of the Phylogeny and Physiology of the Human Microbiome team (PhylHom), composed of around ten members, which studies the human microbiome, its role in health (variability among healthy adults, children, patients with various diseases, etc.), and the impact of foods, xenobiotics, or contaminants on the functionality of this microbiome.
To address these questions, the team develops tools centered on microbiome sciences, combining meta-omics approaches, data analysis and integration, anaerobic microbiology and micro-bioreactors, as well as microbiome–host interactions using in vitro models.
 

You will join the team as a postdoctoral researcher on a project investigating the link between the human gut microbiome and responses to various anticancer treatments (immunotherapies, chemotherapies, stem cell transplants, nutritional approaches, etc.). The work will involve integrating data from different compartments (microbiome, immune system, etc.) and testing the relevance of the findings in vitro.
This project relies on close collaboration with several clinical partners (AP-HP, Gustave Roussy, etc.).
The position is offered for 18 months, with the possibility of extension.

Please note that the MICALIS institute is a restricted-access facility (ZRR – Zone à Régime Restrictif). The candidate will need to be approved by the SGDSN (General Secretariat for Defence and National Security).

Training and skills

• You hold a PhD in microbiology, microbial ecology, microbiome sciences, or related disciplines (physiology, immunology).
• You have skills at the interface between computational biology (microbiology, immunology) and microbiology or the physiology of anaerobic ecosystems.
• You enjoy working in a multidisciplinary environment.
• You have strong oral and written communication skills in English.

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from (depending on the type of contract and its duration):

- up to 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.

How to apply

Candidates should send their application (single PDF file), including a cover letter, a detailed CV (with publications list and specific dates of past contracts/experiences), contact information for 2-3 references, and a brief description of previous research projects (< 1 page) to:
Dr Patricia Lepage