Current open positions:
- PhD opportunities in the del Monte-Nieto Group
- PhD opportunities in the Janovjak Group
- PhD opportunities in the Nillegoda Group
- PhD opportunities in the Roselló-Díez Group
PhD opportunities in the del Monte-Nieto Group: Heart Development, Congenital Heart Disease and Heart Regeneration
Job No.: 617635
Employment Type: Full-time
Duration: 3.3-year fixed-term appointment
Location: Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI), 15 Innovation Walk, Monash University, Clayton
Remuneration: The successful applicant will receive a tax-free stipend, at current value of $29,500 per annum 2021 full-time rate, as per the Monash Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend https://www.monash.edu/study/fees-scholarships/scholarships/find-a-scholarship/research-training-program-scholarship#scholarship-details
The Opportunity
The heart is a complex biological pump in which tissue interactions and the biomechanical forces produced by the normal heart beat control its development and function. However, the building plans and gene regulatory networks controlling its formation are not completely identified limiting the application of our current knowledge to better understand the causes leading to congenital and adult heart disease, to improve the outcomes for cardiac regeneration, tissue engineering or to develop efficient organ-on-a-chip technology for drug screening.
The del Monte-Nieto laboratory at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) is seeking multiple enthusiastic PhD, Masters and Honours students interested in cardiovascular research and microscopy to study the molecular and cellular processes controlling heart development, the causes leading to congenital heart disease and to find molecular targets to improve the regenerative capacity of the heart.
The successful applicant will gain extensive expertise in animal handling, embryo and tissue dissections, paraffin embedding/sectioning, gene/protein expression analysis including bulk RNAseq, single cell RNAseq, ATACseq, in situ hybridization, qPCR, immunofluorescence, western blot; molecular cloning, ChIP, Luciferase assay, 3D imaging by two-photon, light-sheet microscopy, ultrasound and MRI; and 3D image analysis and quantification.
The topics for the PhD projects include the study of:
- The cellular behaviours and molecular pathways controlling heart development
- The leading causes for congenital heart diseases
- The identification of target molecules to induce heart regeneration
Candidate Requirements
The successful applicant must have the following attributes:
- An excellent academic track record in biological sciences
- Interest and commitment
- Experience in developmental biology, cardiovascular biology, regenerative biology and microscopy would be an advantage
Interested applicants should refer to the entry requirements for Doctoral Degree (PhD) as per Monash’s requirements: www.monash.edu/graduate-research/future-students/apply
How To Apply – Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)
Supervisor: Dr Gonzalo del Monte-Nieto
Interested candidates should first send an EOI to Gonzalo.delmontenieto@monash.edu and include the following:
- A cover letter that includes a brief statement addressing the Candidate Requirements and the reason for your interest in the project
- A curriculum vitae, including a list of any published works
- A full statement of academic record, supported by scanned copies of relevant certified documentation
- Contact details of two academic referees
PhD opportunities in the Janovjak Group: Synthetic Biology, Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Job No.: 616442
Location: Clayton campus
Employment Type: Full-time
Duration: 3.3-year fixed-term appointment
Remuneration: The successful applicant will receive a tax-free stipend, at current value of $29,500 per annum 2021 full-time rate, as per the Monash Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend https://www.monash.edu/study/fees-scholarships/scholarships/find-a-scholarship/research-training-program-scholarship#scholarship-details
The Opportunity
The Synthetic Physiology group at Monash University applies bioengineering and synthetic biology to discover new genetic approaches for cell biology and tissue regeneration. The group is based at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI; www.armi.org.au) and a part of the EMBL Australia Partnership Laboratory Network (EMBL Australia; www.emblaustralia.org). The group is headed by ARC Future Fellow Dr Harald Janovjak, and further information can be obtained on the group web site, www.janovjak-lab.com.
The goal of a new and innovative project in the group is to enable studies of protein families and their function in living cells on an unprecedented scale. Currently, no methods are available that allow genetic modification of hundreds of protein-coding genes with high throughput, fidelity and speed. A new research technology with this capability will be developed here and applied to, for example, fluorescent modification or optogenetic modification of all members of disease-related protein families (e.g., all kinases or all transcription factors). This technology will be achieved through a combination of cutting-edge methods, including but not limited to high throughput cloning, long-read next generation sequencing and high content microscopy. The end goal is to obtain genome-wide information of protein function and protein localization to understand molecular mechanisms of disease occurrence and progression.
Two scholarship opportunities are available to domestic students. The first scholarship will focus more on establishing this next generation technology by combining concepts of synthetic biology and cell biology. The second scholarship will focus more on applying this next generation technology to study genetics and physiology.
The ideal start date is April 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (FMNHS) is Monash University’s largest research faculty. World-class researchers work across disciplines including laboratory-based medical science, applied clinical research, and social and public health research.
Established through a joint venture between Monash University and the Victorian Government, the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) builds on the University’s existing strengths in biomedical research, and supports the critical infrastructure required to deliver the next generation of discoveries in regenerative medicine.
Candidate requirements
Applications are invited from outstanding and enthusiastic graduates with relevant backgrounds (biology, biotechnology, physiology, or equivalent) that will have:
- An Honours degree, Masters degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline.
- Time management skills, with the ability to work independently.
- Organisational and record keeping skills, with the ability to prioritise multiple tasks to meet deadlines.
- Written communication and verbal communication skills, with proven ability to produce clear and succinct documents and presentations.
- A demonstrated capacity to work in a collegiate manner with other staff in the workplace.
Interested applicants should refer to the entry requirements for Doctoral Degree (PhD) as per Monash’s requirements: https://www.monash.edu/graduate-research/future-students/apply
How to Apply – Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)
Interested candidates should first send an EOI to harald.janovjak@monash.edu. Please state “EOI PhD scholarships – [First name, last name]” in the subject heading of the email, and please include the following:
- A cover letter that includes a brief statement outlining your suitability for the role;
- A curriculum vitae, including work and/or research experience;
- Your academic transcripts;
- A brief statement not exceeding 500 words in length that explains why you are interested in this project and area;
- Contact details of two references.
Those candidates who pass the EOI stage will be interviewed over Zoom or Skype if necessary. The interviews will be conducted in English.
Enquiries
Dr Harald Janovjak, ARC Future Fellow, EMBL Australia Group Leader, harald.janovjak@monash.edu
PhD opportunities in the Nillegoda Group: Counteracting age-associated neurodegenerative diseases using chaperone-based amyloid disaggregases
Location: Clayton campus
Employment Type: Full-time
Duration: 3.3-year fixed-term appointment
Remuneration: The successful applicant will receive a tax-free stipend, at current value of $29,500 per annum 2021 full-time rate, as per the Monash Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend https://www.monash.edu/study/fees-scholarships/scholarships/find-a-scholarship/research-training-program-scholarship#scholarship-details
The Opportunity
The proteostasis and cell repair Group at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute at Monash University studies a novel protein repair pathway involved in clearing disease-linked toxic protein aggregates central to cellular stress recovery and cell/tissue regeneration. The group is headed by NHMRC Fellow Dr. Nadinath Nilegoda. Detailed information about the group can be found at https://www.armi.org.au/our-groups/nillegoda-group/.
Protein aggregation is a common feature of aging and age-associated neurodegenerative disorders ranging from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to Parkinson’s disease (PD). Our recent ground-breaking discovery characterized a novel class of Hsp70 chaperone-based protein disaggregases (protein aggregate solubilizing machines) in human cells. These disaggregases constitute a fundamentally important proteostasis pathway involved in clearing protein aggregates induced by proteotoxic stress insults and efficiently target a broad range of amyloid-type aggregates linked to neuro and neuromuscular diseases, thus acting as an important class of disease modulators. Our preliminary findings in disease models of protein aggregation suggest that the dysfunction of this pathway could impinge on the onset, severity, and propagation of neurodegenerative disorders.
The knowledge and experience obtained during our pioneering work on the human disaggregases place us in the best position to rapidly work out the nuts and bolts of how this pathway is regulated in human cells to identify new therapeutic targets and translate the findings into treatments.
Two scholarship opportunities are available to domestic students.
The first scholarship involves discovery of novel genetic and epigenetic regulators of the protein disaggregation pathway in human cells employing next generation gene editing technology (CRISPR-based), cell biology and high-throughput screening.
The second scholarship will focus on identification and in vitro (biochemical) and ex vivo (cell based) characterization of small molecule activators of amyloid disaggregases to rescue degenerating neurons using models of disease.
The ideal start date is April 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (FMNHS) is Monash University’s largest research faculty. World-class researchers work across disciplines including laboratory-based medical science, applied clinical research, and social and public health research.
Established through a joint venture between Monash University and the Victorian Government, theAustralian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) builds on the University’s existing strengths in biomedical research, and supports the critical infrastructure required to deliver the next generation of discoveries in regenerative medicine.
Selection Criteria
Applications are invited from outstanding and enthusiastic graduates with relevant backgrounds (cell biology, biotechnology, neuroscience, biochemistry, or equivalent) that will have:
- An excellent academic track record in biological sciences with an Honours or Masters degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline.
- Time management skills, with the ability to work independently.
- Organisational and record keeping skills, with the ability to prioritise multiple tasks to meet deadlines.
- Written communication and verbal communication skills, with proven ability to produce clear and succinct documents and presentations.
- A demonstrated capacity to work in a collegiate manner with other staff in the workplace.
- Experience in cell biology or biochemistry or microscopy would be an advantage.
Interested applicants should refer to the entry requirements for Doctoral Degree (PhD) as per Monash’s requirements:https://www.monash.edu/graduate-research/future-students/apply
How to Apply – Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)
Interested candidates should first send an EOI directly to nadinath.nillegoda@monash.edu. Please state “EOI PhD scholarships – [First name, last name]” in the subject heading of the email, and please include the following:
- A cover letter that includes a brief statement outlining your suitability for the role;
- A curriculum vitae, including work and/or research experience;
- Your academic transcripts;
- A brief statement not exceeding 500 words in length that explains why you are interested in this project and area;
- Contact details of two references.
Those candidates who pass the EOI stage will be interviewed over Zoom or Skype if necessary. The interviews will be conducted in English.
Enquiries
Dr. Nadinath Nillegoda. NHMRC Fellow, Group Leader
nadinath.nillegoda@monash.edu
PhD opportunities in the Roselló-Díez Group: The link between developmental perturbations, metabolism, and catch-up growth
Job No.: 618180
Location: Clayton campus
Employment Type: Full-time
Duration: 3.3-year fixed-term appointment
Remuneration: The successful applicant will receive a tax-free stipend, at current value of $29,500 per annum 2021 full-time rate, as per the Monash Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend https://www.monash.edu/study/fees-scholarships/scholarships/find-a-scholarship/research-training-program-scholarship#scholarship-details
The Opportunity
The Adaptive Regulation of Organ Size group at Monash University uses sophisticated genetic animal models, image analysis and omics approaches to discover new molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling organ growth and repair, with a focus on the limbs. The group is based at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) and headed by HFSP Career Development Awardee Dr Alberto Rosello-Diez. Further information can be obtained on the group web site, www.rosellodiezlab.com
The aim of a new and innovative project in the group is to explore intra- and inter-organ communication in the establishment and maintenance of body proportions. Preliminary data suggest that injuries in the developing limbs cause local metabolic changes that trigger local overgrowth while reducing systemic growth, preserving body proportions. The end goal is to identify the trigger molecules and the target organs involved in this process so that it can be modulated exogenously.
One scholarship opportunity is available to domestic students to develop this project, under the supervision of Dr Rosello-Diez and research fellow Chee Ho H’ng, who were recently awarded an NHMRC Ideas grant to undertake this and related projects.
The ideal start date is June 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (FMNHS) is Monash University’s largest research faculty. World-class researchers work across disciplines including laboratory-based medical science, applied clinical research, and social and public health research.
Established through a joint venture between Monash University and the Victorian Government, the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) builds on the University’s existing strengths in biomedical research, and supports the critical infrastructure required to deliver the next generation of discoveries in regenerative medicine.
Candidate requirements
Applications are invited from outstanding and enthusiastic graduates with relevant backgrounds (developmental biology, cell biology or equivalent) that will have:
- An excellent academic track record in biological sciences (Honours degree, Masters degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline)
- Interest and commitment
- Time management skills, with the ability to work independently.
- Organisational and record keeping skills, with the ability to prioritise multiple tasks to meet deadlines.
- Written communication and verbal communication skills, with proven ability to produce clear and succinct documents and presentations.
- A demonstrated capacity to work in a collegiate manner with other staff in the workplace.
- Experience in developmental biology, metabolism, microscopy or image analysis would be an advantage.
Interested applicants should refer to the entry requirements for Doctoral Degree (PhD) as per Monash’s requirements: https://www.monash.edu/graduate-research/future-students/apply
How to Apply – Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)
Interested candidates should first send an EOI to alberto.rosellodiez@monash.edu. Please state “EOI PhD scholarship – [First name, last name]” in the subject heading of the email, and please include the following:
- A cover letter that includes a brief statement outlining your suitability for the role;
- A curriculum vitae, including work and/or research experience;
- Your academic transcripts;
- A brief statement not exceeding 500 words in length that explains why you are interested in this project and area;
- Contact details of two references.
Those candidates who pass the EOI stage will be interviewed over Zoom or Skype if necessary. The interviews will be conducted in English.
Enquiries
Dr Alberto Rosello-Diez. Group Leader
alberto.rosellodiez@monash.edu