Researcher in Livestock Immunology for the Study of Animal Trypanosomoses
Location: France
Contract Type: Permanent contract
Starting date: 15/04/2024
Salary: France base salary, excluding expatriation allowances if applicable (27-37 K€)
About the Role
Through a One Health approach, the Intertryp Joint Research Unit (Cirad-IRD) is developing research on interactions between hosts, parasites, vectors, microbiomes and the environment in neglected tropical diseases caused by trypanosomatids, including animal trypanosomoses, which are a significant burden on agriculture and livestock farming, particularly in Africa. The unit produces new basic knowledge, innovates and develops tools for monitoring and controlling trypanosomatid diseases, supports public policies and contributes to training and strengthening research and health structures[ST1] . The Intertryp Joint Research Unit is the WHO Collaborating Centre for Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) and the OMSA Reference Laboratory for the diagnosis of animal trypanosomosis (AT). It works jointly with the FAO and the IAEA.
You will be recruited at Cirad in the Intertryp Joint Research Unit as a livestock immunologist for the study of animal trypanosomoses, which are vector-transmitted parasitic diseases.
As part of a multidisciplinary team, in partnership with colleagues and students from African countries, and European teams, the purpose of your activities will be to fill gaps in knowledge about the immune response of major mammalian hosts, primarily cattle, to trypanosomes and their vectors.
You will apply your expert knowledge of immunology to:
- integrate the ongoing work of the European Horizon 2020 COMBAT project on the study of the immune response of cattle of different breeds to experimental trypanosome infections and contribute to the analysis and interpretation of the data;
- participate in a European consortium on the study of the livestock immune system; you will benefit from data already acquired by the unit on gene expression in bovine blood cells;
- develop new projects for the study of the immune response in vivo during natural or experimental infections and using in vitro cellular models, including a focus on cellular and molecular trypanotolerance mechanisms, immunometabolism, cellular and molecular interactions in the skin, and the immunomodulation induced by the saliva of vector insects;
- supervise students, particularly PhD students;
- adopt a leading position in the immunology of animal trypanosomoses in the medium term.
You will join axis 2 of the Molecular and Cellular Bases of Trypanosomatid Infections unit, where you will interact with colleagues who are specialists in molecular biology and in vitro trypanosoma culture, leishmaniasis immunology and genomics.
Desired Profile:
• You are required to have a PhD in veterinary or medical immunology and to be proficient in using the corresponding study tools
• In particular, you will need expert knowledge of livestock immunology
• You will be expected to have published papers on this topic in international scientific journals, including some of which you are the first author
• You should have experience in (a) post-doctoral position(s)
• You will need experience in setting up and implementing partnership projects
• You should enjoy teamwork and have good interpersonal skills
• You should enjoy mentoring students and consider training to be an integral part of your work
• You are expected to be adaptable, highly motivated, self-reliant, proactive and methodologically rigorous and should be able to manage priorities and have organisational skills
• You should be highly motivated to work on a mobile basis in developing countries in a tropical environment and you should already have experience in these areas
• You will need a good command of written and oral French and English
• Expert knowledge of parasitology or genomics would be an advantage
After an induction period of several months at the Baillarguet site in Montpellier, the new recruit will be sent to Africa in one of the partner countries of the unit.
Montpellier, followed by assignment to a partner African country.
Position constraints
- Work in tropical/humid/subtropical areas
- Exposure to Group 2 biological agents *
- Frequent travel in France and abroad
- Work at a computer screen for more than 4 hours per day
- Montpellier, followed by assignment to a partner African country