The laboratory of Laura de Rooij at CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, is seeking a highly motivated Laboratory Technician to join an international team working at the intersection of vascular and endothelial cell diversity, single-cell omics, and human aging/pathology. The lab is specifically interested in investigating the transcriptomic make-up and function of endothelial cells across human organs and tissues, using a combination of cutting-edge omics technologies, clinical samples, and in vitro model systems.
We are looking for a Laboratory Technician with a strong background in vascular biology, cell and molecular biology, or related fields. You will be responsible for lab organization and management, and you will contribute with your technical skills and research experience to the success of the research group. In addition, you will be a part of individual as well as group meetings to deepen the understanding of the ongoing scientific directions in the group. We provide the opportunity to be part of cutting-edge research projects in a highly supportive environment, with a time commitment of 18-24 months and with the potential for co-authorship in a high-impact publication. The preferred start date for this position is April or May.
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The goal of the Laura de Rooij laboratory is to study the gene expression landscape of the vascular endothelium, one cell at a time. Utilizing advanced single-cell RNA sequencing technologies, our lab is dedicated to mapping the diverse landscape of endothelial cell heterogeneity across various organs, tissues, pathological conditions, and throughout the aging process. Through this comprehensive approach, we seek to uncover novel genes and molecular pathways linked to vascular aging and disease. The major lines of current research in the lab involve healthy human aging, cellular senescence, and liver cirrhosis.
Our lab utilizes both human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and endothelial cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to investigate the biology and aging characteristics of the endothelium. For iPSC-derived endothelial cells (iECs), we employ a variety of innovative approaches, such as the application of growth factor cocktails and transcription factor induction, to generate endothelial cells that more closely mimic the characteristics of the endothelium in specific human organs and tissues. These tailored iECs, along with standard endothelial cultures, are further refined through the use of advanced 3D culture systems, including vessel-on-chip setups. By recreating the natural environment, we are able to expose these cells to tissue-specific signals, including co-culture with other cell types and extracellular matrix cues, to drive their differentiation and functional specialization. Via gene perturbation experiments, we furthermore aim to dissect the molecular mechanisms that underpin phenotypes of endothelial pathology and aging. This multifaceted approach enables us to gain deeper insights into endothelial function, disease progression, and aging at a cellular level.
Laura de Rooij studied biomedical sciences at the University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands). She then joined the Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute at McMaster University in Hamilton (Canada), where she studied the role of RNA-binding proteins in leukemic stem cells via an in vivo two-step CRISPR-Cas9-mediated screening approach. For her postdoctoral studies, she returned to Europe to work under the mentorship of Professor Carmeliet in the lab of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism at VIB-KU Leuven (Belgium). There, she led and contributed to numerous single-cell transcriptome atlases of endothelial cells, generated from a diverse range of tissues, preclinical models, and clinical patient material in health and disease. Her studies have shed new light on the degree of vessel subtype heterogeneity in different tissues, as well as the altered composition and rewired molecular circuitries of endothelial cell subtypes in disease. Moreover, her efforts led to the discovery of previously unknown vascular subtypes and functions, including endothelial cells with a lipid-processing phenotype and potential prognostic relevance in breast cancer, and endothelial cells with a putative profibrotic function in COVID-19. Laura de Rooij joined CeMM as principal investigator in September 2022. Since then, her lab focuses on deciphering the transcriptomic landscape and the role of endothelial cells in human health, aging, and pathology.
Previously, Laura received numerous prestigious grants and awards, including an FWO Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020-2022, Belgium), a Lorne F. Lambier, Q.C. Scholarship (2015-2016, Canada), and a Young talent award (2014-2017, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, the Netherlands). Since starting the lab, she moreover received independent funding via an FWF Herzfelder Foundation Projects Grant (Circulating endothelial cells as vascular aging sensors), as well as a Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft Clinical Research Groups grant (Disease-driving mechanisms in patients with portal hypertension). In the latter, she co-leads a work package on vascular heterogeneity and angiogenesis in advanced chronic liver disease.
The mission of CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences is to achieve maximum scientific innovation in molecular medicine to improve healthcare. At CeMM, an international and creative team of scientists and medical doctors pursues free-minded basic life science research in a large and vibrant hospital environment of outstanding medical tradition and practice. CeMM’s research is based on post-genomic technologies and focuses on societally important diseases, such as immune disorders and infections, cancer and metabolic disorders. CeMM operates in a unique mode of super-cooperation, connecting biology with medicine, experiments with computation, discovery with translation, and science with society and the arts. CeMM discovers and develops technologies to explore human biology with the purpose of defeating disease at its roots. Because Science is our Medicine! CeMM trains a modern blend of biomedical scientists and is located at the campus of the General Hospital and the Medical University of Vienna.
CeMM is a proud recipient of the HR Excellence in Research Award (HRS4R). This award demonstrates that CeMM cares about the well-being of its staff, that the recruitment process is open, fair, and transparent, and that CeMM provides professional appraisals and career development procedures. CeMM employs more than 300 members, including auxiliary groups, from 47 nationalities. The working language is English. The Institute promotes equal opportunities and is home to a mix of different talents, backgrounds, and competencies.
Please apply online (https://cemm.onlyfy.jobs/job/fu04npu5) with cover letter, CV and contact details of 2 referees. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Any application received by 20 March 2025 will be considered.