2026/129: 1 R2B – Senior Postdoc

About the Unit / Research Group

The Cancer Epigenetics Research Group focuses its research on the study of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanisms involved in cancer, the identification of therapeutic vulnerabilities, and the development of biomarkers with translational potential.

The group combines molecular and cellular biology, functional genomics, epigenomics and multi-omics approaches to investigate mechanisms of tumour development, treatment response and resistance, with a clear focus on preclinical validation and clinical translation.

Main research lines

• Study of the “language” of chemical modifications in DNA and histones (epigenetics) and RNA (epitranscriptomics).
• Characterisation of multi-omic heterogeneity through single-cell epigenetic approaches.
• Elucidation of the interaction between RNA modifications and carcinogenesis.
• Identification of therapeutic vulnerabilities in cancer for the development of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic drugs.

Essential requirements

• Minimum qualification required: PhD, with more than 5 years of research experience, and proven experience in biomedical research, preclinical and/or translational validation, experimental design and standardisation of methodologies.
• Proven experience in the identification and validation of mechanisms of response or resistance to treatments.
• Experience in the design, development and interpretation of experiments using human cellular models, as well as the ability to work independently and make experimental decisions.
• Oral and written knowledge of both official languages of Catalonia or, failing this, the selected candidate must demonstrate, or commit to acquiring within a maximum period of one year, an adequate command of both official languages of Catalonia.
• Advanced level of English.
• Advanced proficiency in office software tools (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).

Desirable qualifications

• Experience in preclinical models of therapies targeting human cells, tumour cells or the immune system.
• Experience in functional genomics using CRISPR/Cas9, including genome-wide screening and/or small-molecule screening, and candidate validation through loss- and gain-of-function approaches.
• Experience in cancer epigenetics and in the use and study of epigenetic drugs, as well as in the analysis of epigenomic alterations associated with therapeutic response.
• Experience in multi-omics technologies, including scRNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, methylation profiling and integration of molecular data.
• Experience in translational biomarkers, target-engagement studies (PD), analysis of human biological samples and linking preclinical evidence to clinical application.
• Experience supervising research or technical staff, coordinating experimental tasks and working in multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent scientific track record, including high-impact international publications and the ability to communicate results in scientific and translational environments.

Responsibilities

• The selected candidate will participate in the experimental development and implementation of the OBEDAC project (CPP2025-012102), taking a leading role in preclinical and translational validation activities.
• Design, develop, standardise and perform assays using human cellular models aimed at validating the hypotheses and candidates prioritised within the project.
• Contribute to the development of human in vitro platforms (T1.2), targeted screening and the identification and validation of response determinants (T1.4), as well as the development of the translational kit and associated biomarkers (T1.6).
• Participate in the planning and coordination of WP1 activities and in integrating experimental results with the other project participants.
• Develop and interpret functional genomics and screening approaches, when required, to identify and prioritise response determinants and molecular mechanisms of interest.
• Integrate cellular and molecular biology data with transcriptomic, epigenomic and other multi-omics data to identify potential mechanisms and biomarkers.
• Participate in the pharmacodynamic and PBMC biomarker plan (T2.5), contributing to the assessment of target engagement and consistency between PK/PD evidence and biological response.
• Analyse and interpret results, establish prioritisation and validation criteria, identify experimental limitations and propose mitigation strategies.
• Supervise students and support staff involved in experimental activities, ensuring appropriate standardisation, traceability and quality of procedures.
• Contribute to the preparation of scientific reports, presentations, publications and other project outputs, as well as coordination with clinical, academic and industrial collaborators.

We offer

• Open-ended contract linked to the OBEDAC project (CPP2025-012102), with an expected project period from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2029.
• Project CPP2025-012102 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.
• Annual working time of 1,627.50 hours (37.5 hours/week).
• Salary according to the applicable collective agreement.
• Appointment within the Cancer Epigenetics Research Group at the Fundació Institut de Recerca de l’Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

Application documents and deadline

Interested candidates should preferably submit the required documents in PDF format by email to the Management of the Fundació Institut de Recerca de l’Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau at seleccio@recercasantpau.cat, indicating reference 2026/129:

• Application letter.
• Updated curriculum vitae.
• Duly signed data processing authorisation —document attached at the end of the call—.

The duly signed data processing authorisation must be attached.

The deadline for submitting applications is 29 September 2026 at 3:00 p.m.