Looking for MSCA postdoctoral fellowship candidates: cell-type dependencies in IPO8-driven aortic disease

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a pathological enlargement of the body’s largest artery and a life-threatening condition with limited treatment options. Bi-allelic variants in IPO8 have recently been identified as a novel genetic cause of syndromic TAA. Preliminary single-cell RNA sequencing of TAA-presenting Ipo8⁻/⁻ mice revealed significant changes in the abundance and molecular profiles of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and fibroblasts, accompanied by increased immune cell infiltration. However, deeper insights into the mechanisms linking IPO8 dysfunction to vascular pathology are needed to support the development of improved therapies. This project aims to define the cell type-specific contributions and mechanisms of IPO8 loss in VSMCs versus fibroblasts in aneurysm formation and inflammation using cutting-edge -omics tools in constitutive or conditional Ipo8 knockout mouse models.

Desired expertise:
Transcriptomics/proteomics data analysis
Mouse handling
Vascular biology

Interested and eligible applicants are invited to submit their CV together with a short document outlining their motivation and preliminary ideas for the project by mail to aline.verstraeten@uantwerpen.be.

Selected candidates will be provided with dedicated support throughout the application process.