Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Virology

The SPP1 gene encodes osteopontin, a protein that has several functions, such as bone remodeling, angiogenesis, and tumor migration, in addition to being related to the repair of inflammatory processes. Data demonstrated that osteopontin appears to regulate the T cell response, with inhibition of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and an increase in the pro-inflammatory Th1 response. Osteopontin expression was found to be high after chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection and may contribute to inflammatory processes, with modulation of the Th cell response.

The objective of this project is to evaluate the influence of osteopontin in modulating the inflammatory response induced by CHIKV, with the hypothesis that its expression leads to a compromise in the balance between the inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses, which can accentuate the symptoms presented by infected patients.

The ideal candidate for this position must be familiar with viral infection, especially in human monocyte/macrophage cells, as well as knowledge of immunology and molecular biology tools, biotechnology, such as gene editing by CRISPR or siRNA, data analysis, and statistics. Experience with arboviruses is preferred. He/she will conduct research at the University of São Paulo's Ribeirão Preto Medical School (FMRP-USP) in Brazil.

This opportunity is open to candidates of any nationality. The selected candidate will receive a Post-Doctoral fellowship from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) in the amount of R$ 9,047.40 monthly and a research contingency fund, equivalent to 10% of the annual value of the fellowship which should be spent on items directly related to the research activity. 
 
More information about the fellowship is at: fapesp.br/oportunidades/6881.