We are being exposed to increasingly complex mixtures of pesticides from our environment. There is great concern that these exposures contribute to the increase in neurodevelopmental diseases in humans, such as Parkinson’s Disease. Novel approaches are urgently needed to predict the effect of pesticides on the developing brain, and to explore their impact on neurodegeneration.
In this 2-year postdoctoral project, you will use the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to explore the impact of environmentally relevant pesticides on neurodevelopment and the progression of Parkinson’s Disease. To achieve this goal, we combine microscopy, developmental assays and molecular biology techniques. You will also work with chemists to relate the adverse effects to external and internal pesticide concentrations, thus contributing to the development of (quantitative) Adverse Outcome Pathways. You will develop a longitudinal imaging platform to assess the development of α-synuclein aggregation, a key hallmark of Parkinson’s Disease, throughout the lifespan of the worm. As C. elegans has a relatively simple nervous system, we foresee the use of the nematode to gain additional information as to how pesticides impact neurobehavior, motor function and cognition.
For this project, we are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to work on location at the VU in Amsterdam. You will be part of the Environmental Health and Toxicology group of A-LIFE within the VU, under the supervision of Dr. Samantha Hughes. Together with the team, you will present your results at national and international conferences, and in relevant scientific journals.
For informal enquiries, please send an email to Dr. Samantha Hughes s.hughes@vu.nl. Applications are through this link https://workingat.vu.nl/vacancies and are available from 26 August until the 15 September 2024