Bioinformatician: Genomic Resilience for Neurodegeneration

KU Leuven seeks a Senior Bioinformatics Postdoc to study protection against neurodegeneration using multiomics data from centenarian brain samples.

The Holstege lab, with locations in both Amsterdam and Leuven, aims to unravel protective mechanisms against neurodegeneration by investigating cognitive healthy centenarians: those who live to extreme ages without dementia.

The Leuven team will contrast the brain samples collected from these centenarians against an age continuum of healthy donors and individuals affected by various forms of neurodegeneration, totalling over 1,500 human brain samples. Using an array of -omics techniques, e.g. long-read DNA sequencing, single-nuclei transcriptomics & ATACseq and multi-modal proteomics, the team aims to identify genetic and genomic features that may convey protection against ageing and neurodegeneration.

This senior bioinformatics postdoc will be expected to contribute actively to the scientific endeavours in the Holstege lab. The candidate will computationally address biological questions concerning resilience against neurodegeneration both within and across -omics modalities, leveraging both in-house and public databases. Expertise in the data analysis of one of the modalities that we will use in this project (single cell transcriptomics, ATACseq, proteomics or long-read DNA or RNA sequencing) will therefore be desirable.

In addition, the candidate will be expected to establish reproducible and sustainable data workflows in accordance with FAIR principles and ensure infrastructure scalability and long-term usability on the CENTURY-BRAIN Hub, which is being set up as a data-sharing platform to enable internal and external collaborative research. For this, tight collaboration with the bioinformatics team in Amsterdam will be critical; thus, good communication and organisation skills are warranted.

The candidate will contribute to PhD supervision and closely collaborate with the wet lab team to optimise workflows and procedures.

Profile

We are seeking a highly motivated, efficient, energetic and optimistic senior bioinformatician at a postdoc level, with a strong interest in ageing and neurodegeneration, and affinity with student and PhD supervision, with a collaborative spirit, to join our team in Leuven.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Systems Biology, or related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in multi-omics integration and large-scale data analysis.
• Strong programming skills (e.g., R, Python, workflow systems).
• Proven publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Experience with collaborative, multi-institutional research environments.
• Strong communication & coordination skills and a team-player attitude
• Experience/affinity with student supervision and guidance

Desired Profile

• Experience with neurodegeneration and ageing research.
• Familiarity with secure data infrastructures and FAIR data principles.
• Ability to combine scientific depth with organisational oversight.
• Demonstrated success in grant writing or co-PI roles.

We offer

• An exceptionally strong and international scientific research environment;
• Access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and technical support;
• A competitive compensation package based on expertise and experience;
• Financial support is available for at least 2 years. The successful candidate will be required to obtain additional personal or project funding.
• Starting Date: as soon as possible

How to apply?

Motivated candidates with a strong interest in neurodegeneration, a team player mindset, and with a strong commitment to computational research are invited to apply. Please complete the online application procedure and include a motivation letter, CV (including a list of publications), a short synopsis of past research and the contact information of 2 to 3 referees. Applications must come in through the portal to be considered; the best-ranked candidates will be invited for an interview. For further information and questions, please send an email to Dr. Annerieke Sierksma (annerieke.sierksma@kuleuven.be)

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