Research Program in Endometriosis- Postdoc positions Arabian Gulf University (AGU) – Manama, Bahrain

Endometriosis is a gynecological disorder affecting 6 – 10 % of women in reproductive age and is one of the main causes of infertility. The disease is characterized by growth of endometrial cells in the peritoneal cavity. Histologically, endometriosis is highly diverse, however, the mechanistic basis for the heterogenous presentation is poorly understood. Furthermore, treatment options are very limited. On a molecular and cellular level, endometriosis is characterized by excessive cell proliferation, immune cell infiltration, inflammation, and fibrosis.

The Arabian Gulf University (AGU) and the Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, have initiated a research program to elucidate the interplay of molecular mechanisms and endometriosis type in a patient specific way. This research program ranges from a histological characterization and gene expression analysis to the generation of organoids to study immune cell-stroma interactions and to functional studies for the identification of novel therapeutic interventions.

The postdocs will be appointed at AGU, Dept. of Medical Biochemistry and Dept. of Molecular Medicine (2 years fixed term contract)

Postdoc 1: Reference # 202231 Biopsy histology, gene expression analysis and stem cell isolation. This researcher will process endometriosis biopsies to investigate the interplay of immune cell infiltration, proliferation and fibrosis. RNA will be isolated for expression analysis and stem cells for generation of organoids and biobanking.

Postdoc 2: Reference # 202232 Endometriosis organoids, immune cell isolation and organoid co-culture. This researcher will generate organoids from stem cells isolated from different endometriosis subtypes and analyze to which degree they recapitulate characteristics of the original lesion. In addition, the interplay of organoids and immune cells will be investigated with respect to inflammation and fibrosis.

Postdoc 3: Reference # 202233 Therapeutic interventions. This researcher will investigate the impact of therapeutic interventions on cell growth, differentiation and expression of inflammatory markers.

The suitable candidates should have obtained their PhD degree recently (0-5 year) in cell and molecular biology, biomedical sciences, and related fields, and demonstrated experience in cell biology, immunology, molecular biology, and isolation and culture of stem cells. Experience in organoid culture is a plus. The ideal candidates should have a demonstrated capacity to show initiative and be a team player. Please send your application to Ms. Ghada Al-Bufalasa (cmms_jobs@agu.edu.bh ) including CV and transcript of records