Pre PhD's/Fellow

📍 Work location: Pieve Emanuele, (Milano) Italy

📄 Contract type: Fellowship

Pre-doctoral research position in organelle biology and neurodegeneration

Why Humanitas

Choosing Humanitas means joining an environment where quality of care is built every day through clinical expertise, innovation and teamwork, where everyone contributes to the patient care journey.

Who we are

Humanitas Research Hospital is a highly specialized research and university hospital, and the first in Italy to be certified as an Academic Hospital by the Joint Commission International. Research is driven daily by over 500 physicians, biologists, physicists, data scientists, and technologists working across hospital wards and 10,000 sqm of high-tech laboratories. Our mission is to transform discoveries into concrete cures, with a strategic focus on five key areas: cancer, immunology, neuroscience, gastrointestinal medicine, and molecular cardiology.

The context

Our laboratory investigates how membrane contact sites coordinate organelle dynamics and function in health and disease, and how disruption of these processes contributes to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Our projects focus on proteins involved in organelle communication, including VAPB and VPS13D, and explore how they regulate lipid homeostasis, mitochondrial function and cellular stress responses. We combine gene editing with cell biology, quantitative imaging, biochemistry and proteomics, using complementary models that include human iPSCs and iPSC-derived neurons.

Who we are looking for

We are seeking a curious and enthusiastic early-career researcher to join our team. Applicants should hold, or be close to completing, a Master’s degree in biology, biotechnology or a related discipline. We particularly value:

• Curiosity and a strong interest in understanding how cells work.
• A passion for science and for the process of asking questions, designing experiments and interpreting evidence.
• Motivation, commitment and a willingness to learn new approaches.
• Care, reliability and good organisational skills.
• Openness to feedback, perseverance when experiments are challenging and a collaborative attitude.

Previous laboratory experience is welcome. Above all, we are looking for someone eager to develop as a scientist through hands-on research, critical thinking and discussion.

What we offer

Working at Humanitas means contributing to a future where care, wellbeing and professional excellence grow together. For this reason, we offer:

• a wellbeing programme that also includes initiatives supporting physical and psychological health;
• practical work-life balance measures, including initiatives supporting parenthood and financial wellbeing;
• training and development opportunities to foster talent and enhance skills in a dynamic and innovative environment;
• a dynamic, international and scientifically competitive research environment, with access to advanced core facilities and opportunities for collaboration across basic and clinical research.

Position and application

The position is initially for 12 months, with the possibility of renewal. The earliest anticipated start date is 1 January 2027.

This offer is open to candidates in compliance with Legislative Decrees 198/2006, 215/2003 and 216/2003.