Post-Doctoral Fellow in Leukemia Research-Italian Fund Science; FIS Program

Position: Post-Doctoral Fellow in Leukemia Research-Italian Fund for Science (FIS Program)
Organisation/Company University of Parma Research Field Medical sciences » Cancer research Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Postdoc Positions Final date to receive applications 31 Mar 2026 - 12:30 (Europe/Rome) Country Italy Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 May 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No
Offer Description
Project: TORCH – Targeting the Origin of Chromosome Fusion in Childhood Leukemia Host Institution:
University of Parma, Italy Principal Investigator:
Prof. Giovanni Roti Project Duration: 60 months
The Laboratory of Translational Hematology and Chemogenomics at the University of Parma invites applications for two highly motivated Postdoctoral Researchers to join the TORCH project, an advanced, multidisciplinary research program aimed at identifying and therapeutically targeting the shared mechanisms underlying chromosomal translocations in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Chromosome fusions represent early and persistent oncogenic events in ALL, particularly in high-risk and relapsed/refractory disease, yet the biological processes driving their formation and maintenance remain largely unexplored and therapeutically untapped. TORCH integrates functional genomics, CRISPR-Cas9 technologies, gene expression–based high-throughput screening (GE-HTS), chemical biology, and preclinical in vivo models to uncover common fusion-dependent vulnerabilities and translate them into novel therapeutic strategies.
The two postdoctoral positions are complementary and highly interactive, covering distinct but interconnected work packages of the project.
Postdoctoral Position 1 – Functional Genomics and CRISPR-Based Leukemia Models
Research activities
The selected candidate will focus on the molecular and functional characterization of chromosomal fusions in ALL through:

generation and validation of CRISPR-Cas9–based knockout and inducible knockdown models targeting fusion genes and their partners in B-ALL and T-ALL cell lines;
transcriptomic profiling (RNA-seq) following fusion loss to define shared fusion

ALL “Off” gene expression signatures;
functional characterization of fusion-dependent vulnerabilities using cell viability, apoptosis, and fitness assays;
participation in genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 synthetic lethality screens, alone and in combination with small-molecule modulators identified in the project;
integration of in-house data with public resources (e.g., Dep Map) and contribution to mechanistic interpretation.

Required profile

PhD in Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Genomics, Hematology, or related fields;
strong hands‑on experience with CRISPR-Cas9 technologies and mammalian cell culture;
solid background in RNA-seq analysis and functional genomics;
prior experience with leukemia or hematologic malignancy models is highly desirable;
ability to work independently within a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment.

Postdoctoral Position 2 – Chemical Biology, GE-HTS, and Preclinical Validation
Research activities
The selected candidate will contribute to the discovery and validation of fusion modulators by:

developing and applying gene expression–based high-throughput screening (GE-HTS) assays using RNA barcoding and 3’ RNA sequencing;
screening annotated small-molecule libraries, including FDA-approved and bioactive compounds, to identify modulators of the fusion

ALL “Off” state;
performing dose–response, mechanism-of-action, and pharmacodynamic studies in ALL cell lines and primary patient‑derived samples;
validating selected compounds in patient‑derived leukemia xenograft (PDLX) models;
contributing to multi‑omic analyses, including bulk and single-cell RNA-seq and chromatin accessibility profiling, to define compound‑induced biological effects.

Required profile

PhD in Pharmacology, Chemical Biology, Experimental Oncology, Biotechnology, or related disciplines;
demonstrated experience in functional drug screening, compound profiling, or mechanism-of-action studies;
familiarity with leukemia models,…