The Dept. University Heart Center Freiburg-Bad Krozingen is a highly specialised center for heart, cardiovascular and circulatory diseases and enjoys an international reputation. With 1500 staff, the heart centre is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The vision for its translational research centre, the Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine (IEKM), is to build bridges between basic and clinical research and to drive the advancement of knowledge on cardiovascular disease and therapy.
Fully-Funded Postdoctoral position in cardiac electrophysiology (m/f/d)
The Institute of Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine (IEKM) is a modern, internationally organised research institute with flat hierarchies and currently around 40 employees and students.
Background:
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting 59 million people worldwide. Current drug treatments are largely ineffective, and although ablation techniques often yield good results, they frequently require repeated procedures due to their limited long-term success. This project aims to enhance our understanding of the effects of pulsed-field ablation on cardiac cells and tissues, with the goal of developing more selective and longer-lasting ablation strategies.
We offer:
- an outstanding international and interdisciplinary scientific environment with English as the working language
- access to up-to-date laboratories, cutting-edge technologies and state-of-the-art infrastructure
- highly personalised supervision at the forefront of integrative biomedical sciences
- a diverse, vibrant and multi-cultural environment with the beautiful Freiburg located at the crossroads of Germany, France, and Switzerland
- membership of the Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), offering additional networking opportunities, translational skills training, and career guidance
- employee offers / health offers (e.g. UKF job ticket, Hansefit, company day care centre)
Research will cover:
- optimisation of pulsed-field ablation protocols to target selectively cardiomyocytes and obtain transmural lesions
- spatial and temporal assessment of tissue electrophysiological properties in response to the ablation protocols performed
- siological and histological assessment of ablated tissues depending on the ablation protocol performed (lesion size, depth, nature of cell damage)
Key techniques involved: whole heart Langendorff perfusion, optical mapping, immunofluorescence imaging and histology, live/dead cell assays
Qualifications and Requirements:
- self-motivated students who hold PhD in disciplines relevant for biomedical research such as Biology, Bioengineering, Biophysics, Medicine or Physiology
- emerging publications record in peer-reviewed scientific journals
- a sound grasp of cardiac (electro)physiology is required
- hands-on research experience with cardiac tissue preparations and optical mapping or other electrophysiology techniques is expected
- scientific curiosity and the desire to actively shape your own research project are a must
- excellent communication skills in English (B2 or higher)
The Mechanobiology Section of the IEKM offers a 3-year post-doctoral position.
Are you interested? Then we look forward to receiving your online application with all relevant documentation.
