Job Information
Organisation/Company: Institut Curie - Research Center
Department: Administration
Research Field: Medical sciences » Cancer research
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Positions: PhD Positions
Application Deadline: 13 Nov 2026 - 00:00 (Europe/Paris)
Country: France
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Offer Starting Date: 22 Jul 2026
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Horizon Europe - ERC
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No
Offer Description
The hosting structure
The Curie Institute Research Center
Faithful to the legacy of its founder, the Institut Curie is deeply committed to promoting equal opportunities, diversity, and inclusion. Convinced that diversity of backgrounds and experiences contributes to collective performance, we strive to provide everyone with a respectful and equitable working environment and encourage all candidates to apply for our job opportunities.
Context
Laboratory
The Baffet lab is located at Institut Curie, in the department of cell biology (UMR144). http://institut-curie.org/team/baffet
The team investigates the mechanisms of mammalian neocortex development, with a strong focus on neural stem cells. We aim to understand how these cells shape the cell type diversity of the brain, using live imaging-based approaches.
Description of the PhD thesis project
The remarkable expansion of the human neocortex during recent primate evolution is thought to result from increased production of neuronal and glial cells by neural stem cells, known as radial glial (RG) cells. However, the cell fate decisions that generate this diversity, and how they vary across developmental stages and cortical regions, remain poorly understood. This PhD project aims to uncover the lineage relationships and fate decisions of human neural stem cells across cortical regions using a combination of human fetal tissue and next-generation regionalized cortical organoids developed within an ERC Synergy project. Building on a live/fixed correlative imaging pipeline established in the host laboratory, the student will directly observe RG cell divisions and assign the identities of their progeny through immunostaining. By quantifying proliferative, neurogenic, and gliogenic division modes across space and time, they will generate a comprehensive map of neural stem cell fate decisions during human cortical development and determine how these programs vary between cortical areas. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying these fate choices, they will combine single-cell transcriptomics with lineage analysis. Using Live-seq, a minimally invasive approach that enables transcriptome profiling of living cells, they will sample individual RG cells in 2D prior to division and subsequently determine the identity of their daughter cells through live/fixed correlative imaging. This strategy will establish direct links between the molecular state of neural stem cells and their developmental output, allowing us to identify transcriptional signatures associated with specific fate decisions and test whether RG cells are molecularly precommitted to fate decisions before mitosis. Together, this work will provide an unprecedented spatiotemporal map of human neural stem cell lineages, reveal the molecular determinants of fate specification, and establish new principles governing regional diversification of the developing human cortex.
Candidate Profile
Training and Skills required
- Training: Cell biology or developmental biology
- Scientific skills: microscopy, cell culture
- Professional experience desirable: Previous laboratory experience
- Language skills: English
Abilities
- Ability to work independently, aptitude for working in a team, ability to communicate.
All our opportunities are open to people with disabilities
Contract information
Type of contract: doctoral contract
Starting date: end of 2026
Duration: 3 years
Working time: full time
Remuneration: €2,400 gross per month, according to the current grids
Benefits: Collective catering, reimbursement of transportation fees up to 70%, supplementary health insurance
Location of the position: Paris
Contact
Please send your CV, letter of motivation: job-ref-nqjgu141lr@emploi.beetween.com
Publication date: 14/06/2026
Deadline for application: once filled
Institut Curie is an inclusive, equal opportunity employer and is dedicated to the highest standards of research integrity.
Where to apply
E-mail: job-ref-nqjgu141lr@emploi.beetween.com
Requirements
Research Field: Medical sciences » Cancer research
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Languages: FRENCH
Level: Excellent
Languages: ENGLISH
Level: Excellent
Research Field: Medical sciences » Cancer research
Years of Research Experience: 1 - 4
Additional Information
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: Institut Curie - Centre de recherche
Country: France
City: Ville de Paris, Île-de-France, France
Postal Code: 75005
Street: 26 rue d'Ulm
Contact
State/Province: 160013
City: Paris
Website: http://curie.fr/?prehome=0
Street: 26 rue d'Ulm
Postal Code: 75005
E-Mail: job-ref-nqjgu141lr@emploi.beetween.com
Phone: 0156246527