Postdoc positions ALS grant

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a life-threatening neurodegenerative disease for which there are currently no effective treatments. Current research efforts are often address protein deregulation as a contributing factor. Our proposal is to examine the environment of motor neurons in greater detail to determine how this contributes to the disease, with a specific focus on a subtype of cellular senescence.

Senescence is a state that cells can enter when they become irreparably damaged. Senescent cells secrete factors into their environment that can lead to chronic disruption of cell-to-cell communication. Recent evidence in mice has shown that senescent cells can drive cognitive decline, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Our preliminary research has also identified the presence of senescent cells in TDP43 mutant mice. Understanding and counteracting the potentially deleterious role of senescent cells in the environment may therefore be attractive against ALS.

You will investigate whether the removal of scarred-senescent cells can affect motor neuron health and function in 2D and 3D tissue culture, assess the role potential candidates advanced multiplex techniques (4i, Cy-Chi and CosMX) and whether disease features can be stalled or counteracted in neurodegeneration/aging/ALS mouse models. When successful and the elimination of scarred senescent cells delays or counteracts disease-features associated in mice, this innovative strategy could then progress into clinical translation aimed at improving the quality of life and survival of patients.