Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2)

Positions: PhD Positions

Application Deadline: 5 Sep 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Warsaw)

Country: Poland

Type of Contract: Temporary

Job Status: Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

You will join the international consortium “DECIPHER: Deciphering the role of CD90+ stromal cells in neuropathic pain”, funded under the ERA-NET programme. The consortium aims to uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying chronic neuropathic pain and to establish the foundations for novel targeted analgesic therapies. The project is based on the hypothesis that CD90+ stromal cells play a central role in driving and maintaining peripheral sensory neuron hyperexcitability, thereby contributing to persistent neuropathic pain independently of classical inflammation. Your work will focus on the preclinical validation of newly identified therapeutic targets using complementary mouse models of neuropathic pain, integrating behavioural neuroscience with advanced in vivo neurophysiology (pharmacological interventions and functional calcium imaging and multi-electrode arrays, MEA).

You will specialise in advanced in vivo neurophysiology, combining behavioural neuroscience with functional optical imaging of sensory neurons. Using viral delivery of genetically encoded calcium indicators (AAV9-GCaMP6s), you will perform large-scale in vivo calcium imaging of dorsal root ganglion (L3/L4 DRG) neurons together with quantitative behavioural assessment of neuropathic pain. The project combines state-of-the-art optical imaging, pharmacological intervention, computational data analysis and translational neuroscience in close collaboration with leading European laboratories.

The successful candidate will be employed full-time for 36 months within an internationally funded collaborative project and will have the opportunity to work with leading European groups in translational pain neuroscience while developing expertise in advanced systems neuroscience and preclinical therapeutic validation.

Where to apply

Website: https://system.erecruiter.pl/FormTemplates/RecruitmentForm.aspx?WebID=a855150d0…

Requirements

Research Field: Neurosciences

Education Level: PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Requirements

• PhD in Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Physiology, Biomedical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Excellent spoken and written English.
• Proven experience working with laboratory mice.
• Experience in rodent surgery and regulated animal procedures.
• Experience with behavioural assays in rodents.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to work independently.
• Willingness to travel and present research internationally.

Desirable requirements:

• Experience with neuropathic pain models.
• Experience with in vivo functional imaging (especially one- or two-photon calcium imaging).
• Experience with viral vectors (AAV) and stereotaxic or neonatal injections.
• Experience with image analysis and quantitative data analysis (Python, MATLAB or R).
• Experience with computational analysis of large biological datasets.

Additional Information

Benefits

• Co-financing of private medical care.
• Co-financing of a sports and wellness card.
• Option to enrol in group life insurance.
• Co-financing through the Social Benefits Fund (including holiday and Christmas benefits).
• Work in a modern, green science campus environment.
• Free on-site parking.

Additional comments

You will join the international consortium “DECIPHER: Deciphering the role of CD90+ stromal cells in neuropathic pain”, funded under the ERA-NET programme. The consortium aims to uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying chronic neuropathic pain and to establish the foundations for novel targeted analgesic therapies. The project is based on the hypothesis that CD90+ stromal cells play a central role in driving and maintaining peripheral sensory neuron hyperexcitability, thereby contributing to persistent neuropathic pain independently of classical inflammation. Your work will focus on the preclinical validation of newly identified therapeutic targets using complementary mouse models of neuropathic pain, integrating behavioural neuroscience with advanced in vivo neurophysiology (pharmacological interventions and functional calcium imaging and multi-electrode arrays, MEA).

You will specialise in advanced in vivo neurophysiology, combining behavioural neuroscience with functional optical imaging of sensory neurons. Using viral delivery of genetically encoded calcium indicators (AAV9-GCaMP6s), you will perform large-scale in vivo calcium imaging of dorsal root ganglion (L3/L4 DRG) neurons together with quantitative behavioural assessment of neuropathic pain. The project combines state-of-the-art optical imaging, pharmacological intervention, computational data analysis and translational neuroscience in close collaboration with leading European laboratories.

The successful candidate will be employed full-time for 36 months within an internationally funded collaborative project and will have the opportunity to work with leading European groups in translational pain neuroscience while developing expertise in advanced systems neuroscience and preclinical therapeutic validation.

Your main duties:

You will be responsible for the experimental implementation of the preclinical work package (WP3). Your responsibilities will include:

• performing regulated animal procedures and inducing mouse models of neuropathic pain,
• carrying out behavioural phenotyping (mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity assays together with automated home-ge monitoring),
• performing terminal in vivo calcium imaging experiments from dorsal root ganglion neurons,
• administering and evaluating novel therapeutic compounds, including monoclonal antibodies and receptor ligands,
• analysing large-scale neuronal population imaging datasets using computational pipelines,
• maintaining high-quality experimental documentation and metadata,
• presenting results during consortium meetings and international conferences,
• contributing to manuscript preparation and dissemination of project results.

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available: 1

Company/Institute: Sieć Badawcza Łukasiewicz - PORT Polski Ośrodek Rozwoju Technologii

Country: Poland

City: Wrocław

Contact

City: Wrocław

Website: https://port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl/

Street: Stabłowicka 147