40 Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg 

• A PhD degree in wireless communications, signal processing, machine/deep learning or a closely related field in Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Should have published at least 3 journal papers in top 10% international journals of the field, and/or should have strong experimentation background and experience of working in industries or university laboratories
• Sound publication track-record on one or some of the following areas: wireless communications technologies, signal processing for communications, machine/deep learning, UAVs, MTC/IoT communication techniques/protocols, Terahertz communications, and Quantum communications
• Strong knowledge on some of the following: PHY and MAC layer design of 5G wireless systems, wireless IoT technologies, network virtualization, network slicing, graph signal processing, machine/deep learning techniques/tools and optimization methods
• Strong programming skills in MATLAB, Python, R or C++
• Highly committed, excellent team-worker, and strong critical thinking skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English

The successful candidates will join the Computer Vision, Machine Intelligence and Imaging (CVI²) headed by Prof. Djamila Aouada in order to carry out research in the general area of Computer Vision. Multiple positions are open.

CVI² offers the opportunity to work on multiple projects (projects with industrial partners such as Lift-Me Off, ARTEC 3D and DataThings and/or national and international academic projects). All projects require conducting full scale experiments, including real-time implementation, data acquisition, training and validation at the SnT Computer Vision Lab. CVI² is a young group composed of highly motivated and active members. Their work focuses on innovative research topics such as 3D shape modelling, 6DOF object pose estimation, human behavior understating, and deep learning and is disseminated in top-tiers venues.

We offer an attractive Research Associate position in Computer Vision-based anomaly detection for Space Applications.The successful candidate will join the Computer Vision, machine Intelligence and Imaging (CVI²) research group (http://cvi2.uni.lu) headed by Prof. Djamila Aouada. CVI² offers the opportunity to work on multiple national and international academic projects and in collaboration with industrial partners. All projects require conducting full scale experiments, including real-time implementation, data acquisition, training, and validation at the SnT Computer Vision Lab (https://youtu.be/knn24Tnv_NA) and the SnT Zero-G Lab (https://youtu.be/knEjlkSit2Y). This is a fully funded Postdoc position for 1 to 2 years (possible extension(s) up to 5 years in total). The position holder will be involved in different projects on efficient deep Learning for Computer Vision space applicationsand will be closely collaborating with industrial partners. 

We offer an attractive Research Associate position in Computer Vision-based anomaly detection for space applications.The successful candidate will join the Computer Vision, machine Intelligence and Imaging (CVI²) research group (http://cvi2.uni.lu) headed by Prof. Djamila Aouada. CVI² offers the opportunity to work on multiple national and international academic projects and in collaboration with industrial partners. All projects require conducting full scale experiments, including real-time implementation, data acquisition, training, and validation at the SnT Computer Vision Lab (https://youtu.be/knn24Tnv_NA) and the SnT Zero-G Lab (https://youtu.be/knEjlkSit2Y). This is a fully funded Postdoc position for 2 years (possible extension(s) up to 5 years in total). The position holder will be involved in European defense funded projects and will be working closely with CVI² industrial partner LMO. 

We’re looking for people driven by excellence, excited about innovation, and looking to make a difference. If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place!

The University of Luxembourg seeks to hire outstanding researchers at its Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT). SnT is a recently formed centre carrying out interdisciplinary research in secure, reliable and trustworthy ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) systems and services, often in collaboration with industrial, governmental or international partners. SnT is active in several international research projects.

The LCSB is strategically extending its international collaboration network and has in this context allocated funding to further develop bridges with internationally renowned centres of excellence in neurodegeneration research. It is funding several bridging post-doc positions between a research group at the LCSB and a research group at a partner institution in Europe.

The selected post-doctoral researcher will perform research both at the LCSB and at the partner institution and will thus have regular stays at the partner laboratory. He/she will act as a bridge to foster the collaboration as well as regular exchanges between the researchers on both sites. The selected project will focus on understanding the underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and/or in developing new avenues for diagnostic or therapeutic interventions in neurodegenerative diseases.

The University of Luxembourg is seeking to hire a highly motivated and outstanding researcher in the area of machine learning optimization for physical layer applied to satellite communications in its Interdisciplinary Centre of Security and Trust (SnT), within the Signal Processing and Communications (SigCom) research group, led by Prof. Symeon Chatzinotas.

SnT carries out interdisciplinary research in secure, reliable and trustworthy ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) systems and services, often in collaboration with governmental, industrial and international partners.  SnT is active in several national projects funded by National Research Fund (FNR) and local industries, and international research projects funded by the EU FP7 programme, H2020 programme, and the European Space Agency (ESA). For further information, you may check: www.securityandtrust.lu

The SigCom research group carries out research activities in the areas of signal processing for wireless communication systems, including satellite and 5G/6G communications. It is expanding its research activities to explore several emerging use cases of next-generation wireless communications systems. For details, you may refer to the following: https://wwwen.uni.lu/snt/research/sigcom

We’re looking for people driven by excellence, excited about innovation, and looking to make a difference. If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place!

The research group focuses on wireless/satellite communications and networking and is headed by Prof. Symeon Chatzinotas. The research areas focus on the formulation, modelling, design, and analysis of future 5G and beyond communication networks that are capable of supporting new services in a cost-efficient manner. Use cases of interest include IoT verticals, unmanned aerial vehicles, integrated satellite-space-terrestrial networks, quantum communications and key distribution, spectrum management and coexistence, tactile Internet, and autonomous transportation. As far as technical enablers are concerned, we leverage expertise on massive MIMO cell-free communications, smart-radio environments through the use of intelligent surfaces, machine-type and ultra-reliable and low-latency communications, edge computing and caching, RAN slicing, and network softwarization and visualization. Finally, due to the large-scale nature, complexity, and heterogeneity of 5G and beyond networks, for their analysis and optimization we use tools such as artificial intelligence/machine learning, graph theory and graph-signal processing, and convex/non-convex optimization. Furthermore, our activities are experimentally driven and supported by the SDR CommLab, the SDN Lab, the 6G-Space Lab, our SW Simulators, and our OTA Facilities. https://wwwen.uni.lu/snt/research/sigcom

We’re looking for people driven by excellence, excited about innovation, and looking to make a difference. If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place!

This is a fully funded position with an original duration of 2 to 4 years with a possibility to extend up to 5 years upon the performance and funding availability. The successful candidate is expected to work on emerging topics and novel challenges in the 6G Communications Networks, which are not limited to:

• Robust and scalable AI-based resource allocation and management for 6G, including risk-aware, physics/rule-based AI
• Task/Goal-oriented and Semantic based communications design for 6G
• Novel PHY layer design and optimization for 6G: Reflective intelligent surface, mmWave, Terahertz, joint communications and sensing
• Quantum communications and computation in 6G
• Autonomous network management and control for 6G multilayer ground-air-space networks
• 6G use cases: metaverse, digital twins, tactile internet

As the successful candidate, you will primarily contribute to a partnership project with BGL – BNP Paribas, one of the major banks in Luxembourg. The title of the project is “AI for AI” and it concerns the design of an AI ‘metamodel’ tool that will monitor and improve AI algorithms effectiveness and robustness, allowing their application to business-critical use cases at scale. The objective of this project is to develop automated means to continuously monitor the performance of AI models (including NLP models) developed by BGL BNP Paribas and to determine when and how to retrain these models in order to improve their performance. Achieving these objectives requires addressing crucial research challenges such as the definition of proper quality metrics across the bank’s use cases, the identification and explaination of the limitations and blanks spots of the models, and the design of sustainable improvement mechanisms. Overall, the project supports BGL BNP Paribas in scaling-up their AI and data science activities through ground-breaking research, thereby enabling the widespread dissemination of AI products and services throughout the bank. The project is held in close collaboration with BGL-BNP Paribas and, as the successful candidate, you will be expected to program prototype tools showcasing the practical benefits of your research outcomes.

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg is a leading international research and innovation centre in secure, reliable and trustworthy ICT systems and services.
We play an instrumental role in Europe by fueling innovation through research partnerships with industry, boosting R&D investments leading to economic growth, and attracting highly qualified talent. We look for researchers from diverse academic backgrounds to contribute to our projects in areas such as: Network Security, Information Assurance, Model-driven Security, Cloud Computing, Cryptography, Satellite Systems, Vehicular Networks, and ICT Services & Applications.

The Applied Security and Information Assurance (APSIA) research group invites applications from highly-motivated candidates holding a PhD with a strong track record to contribute to the research specialities, see topics below. The APSIA team of SnT is a dynamic research group, some 15 strong, conducting research on the design and analysis of crypto primitives and protocols, security-critical systems, information assurance, and privacy. Specialities of the group include quantum and post-quantum (quantum resistant) cryptography, secure voting systems.

Successful candidates will join the young, vibrant, and interdisciplinary FINATRAX Research Group, which builds bridges between business research and information systems engineering. The group conducts research on the application and the impact of digital technologies like DLT/Blockchain, Digital Identities, Machine Learning/AI, and IoT/5G on organisations from both the private and public sectors. The group consists of doctoral and post-doctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds, including business, technology, law, and psychology. They are united in pursuit of sustainable technologies that positively impact society. 

• PhD degree in Information Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Software Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Management Information Systems, or a related field
• Proficiency in research methods commonly used in information systems research, such as design science research or quantitative methods
• Strong interest in publishing in high-ranked journals such as the Association for Information Systems Senior Scholars’ List of Premier Journals and in related outlets like Business & Information Systems Engineering, Electronic Markets, Government Information Quarterly, Technology in Society, or in Information Systems conferences like ICIS, ECIS, HICSS, and the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management
• A collaborative team player with a desire to make a personal impact within our interdisciplinary research group
• The commitment to participate in the design, implementation, and theoretical elaboration of high-quality solutions that solve significant problems
• Autonomy, self-initiative, creativity, curiosity, flexibility and enthusiasm to work
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English are required

 

(18) Postdoctoral Fellowship Position

Postdoc Fellowship Position summary/title: Research Associate (Postdoc) in Software Debugging and Maintenance

Deadline : Open Until Filled

View details & Apply

 

We are seeking a highly qualified Research Associate (Postdoc) candidate in quantum quantum computing. Applicants are expected to possess a strong understanding of wireless communications networks and the specific challenges they present, particularly those related to beyond 5G networks. Furthermore, applicants should be well-versed in leveraging quantum computing to effectively address and overcome these challenges. The ideal candidate will possess not only a solid theoretical understanding of these technologies, but also a demonstrated ability to apply their knowledge through hands-on experience. We are looking for an individual who is able to thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, and who is committed to driving innovation and advancement in the field of quantum information sciences.

The successful candidate will join the SVV research group headed by Prof. Domenico Bianculli. The team focuses on the development and design of reliable, safe, and secure software systems, carrying out both upstream activities such as requirements quality, as well as downstream verification & validation activities, such as software testing and runtime verification. For further information, you may refer to https://www.uni.lu/snt-en/research-groups/svv

This is a fully funded position for 23 months within a large, national research project (INSTRUCT – INtegrated Satellite-TeRrestrial Systems for Ubiquitous Beyond 5G CommunicaTions). The project is run in close cooperation with SES (https://www.ses.com/). Therefore, the objectives of the project are aligned with the research interest of SES towards their next-generation of satellite systems.

The candidate will develop novel methods and techniques for data format inference, transformation, and verification in the context of high-speed satellite command data streams.

The successful candidate will work with an academic supervisor from the University of Luxembourg and with an industrial supervisor from SES, and join a strong and motivated research team led by Prof. Domenico Bianculli. The candidate is also expected to spend at least 25% of his/her time at the SES headquarters in Betzdorf, Luxembourg.

As a Postdoctoral Researcher, you will develop and implement federated analytical workflows tailored for health research. You will apply AI/ML algorithms to analyse a diverse range of data types, including clinical, molecular (-omics), and (sensor/mobile and PROMs/PREMs) within a federated environment. Additionally, you will innovate state-of-the-art federated AI/ML methods, to ensure privacy and data security in clinical research. To augment federated analysis, you will be generating synthetic data using ML techniques, such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). Your workflows and methods will be incorporated by a multidisciplinary team into the CLINNOVA platform for federated data management and analysis. You will take an active role on project activities and effectively disseminating findings to the project members and the scientific community through project meeting, conferences and publications.

• A PhD degree in Telecommunication Engineering, or Electrical Engineering or Computer Science/engineering with a focus on wireless communications
• Good understanding of the 3GPP 5G radio access and/or core network protocols
• Proficiency in multiple programming languages including bash scripting, MATLAB, C/C++ and Python. Other simulation languages such as JULIA are pluses
• Working knowledge of the OpenAirInterface open source software stack. Practice in other open source mobile network software frameworks such as srsRAN or O-RAN Front Haul Interface is valuable
• Good skills in development in Linux and with open-source software tools like Git and Jenkins, and operation of SDRs like USRPs and virtualized environments like Docker and virtual machines
• Know-how on orbit propagation tools such as STK , or ns-3 network simulator are pluses
• Experience of working with industrial projects or publicly funded research projects is highly desirable
• Highly committed, excellent team-worker, and strong critical thinking skills
• International experience is advantageous
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English

This is a fully funded position with an original duration of 2 years with a possibility to extend up to 5 years upon the performance and funding availability. The successful candidate is expected to theoretical and experimental research on meta-MAC layer development for underwater optical communication systems.   

The position holder will be required to perform the following tasks:

• Research on optical communication, particularly underwater:
• MAC protocol development
• Network layer development
• Energy harvesting methodologies
• Integrate with the SIGCOM research group and contribute to the SIGCOM on-going research projects related to optical communications
• Develop research around optical-based communications, including channel modeling, optimization of transmission and reception, network-based design, and evaluation
• Design and develop network layer and meta-MAC layer protocols to provide a good performance-complexity trade-off for the identified scenarios and use cases
• Compare with state-of-the-art and conventional solutions via numerical simulations and/or HW/chipset validation
• Disseminating results through scientific publications and conferences
• Assisting in the organization of relevant workshops and demos
• Preparing new research proposals to attract new projects
• Providing assistance in the supervision of PhD students

The University of Luxembourg (UL) is seeking to hire a set of postdoctoral fellows within the Department of Computer Science of the Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine linked to HPC Platform of the University of Luxembourg led by Dr. Julien Schleich.

The activities include classical HPC applications such as simulation and modeling, but also artificial intelligence and machine learning, bridging computational science, with data science, and data management (IoT/Edge/HPC).

As the successful candidate, you will join the Security, Reasoning and Validation (SeRVal) group of the SnT, under the supervision of Dr. Maxime Cordy. You will contribute to research work in the area of Software Verification. Such research concerns the development of theories, techniques and tools to ensure that software systems behave according to their expected requirements. More specifically, the verification topics that may be explored include (but are not limited to):

• statistical model checking
• improving verification with deep learning
• completeness and consistency of formal specifications
• verification for variability-intensive software systems
• verification for cyber-physical systems
• verification for AI systems

The results of the project are expected to apply to multiple use cases, e.g., automotive systems, satellite, smart grids, smart factories, etc., in collaboration with partners of the group. Depending on your profile, the project can focus more on theory, development and/or applications. However, all three aspects are expected to be covered during the project.

Work on project-relevant subjects from the last and current Release of the 3GPP core network standards, implement the features in free5GC and/or OpenAirInterface/srsRAN software for computer simulations, and conduct theoretical research to submit proposals to the ongoing study or work items, with a view towards patenting and possible inclusion into the future Releases

• Perform research on future communications networks topics including, but not limited to:
  • Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs)
  • Multicast and Broadcast Services (MBSs)
  • Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV), UA System (UAS) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM)
  • Experimental emulators, prototypes, testbeds and distributed research infrastructure test platforms
• Set up real-world testing both in the laboratory using emulators and software defined radios (SDRs), and in the field using drones or satellites, to validate research or project outcomes
• Disseminating results through foremost scientific publications and conferences in their fields
• Contribute to the development of research proposals for attracting funding through industrial, national, and European projects on the topic
• Publish research findings in the prestigious peer-reviewed journals and present at relevant conferences
• Contribute to different research projects, either coordinating technical contribution and/or preparing project deliverables
• Support in the supervision of PhD students
• Participate into the development of the 6GSpaceLab infrastructure and the federated labs at SnT

Successful candidates will join the young, vibrant, and interdisciplinary FINATRAX Research Group, which builds bridges between business research and information systems engineering. The group’s work is organised around four emerging technologies (Digital Identities, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain (DLT), and the Internet-of-Things) and three focus industries (Financial Services, Public Sector, and Energy). The group consists of doctoral and post-doctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds, including business, technology, law and psychology. They are united in pursuit of sustainable technologies that have a positive impact on society. For further details, please visit our website: https://www.uni.lu/snt-en/research-groups/finatrax/

The candidate will support project partnerships with industry and publicly funded research projects in designing, implementing, and evaluating the use of privacy and verifiability-enhancing technologies, such as blockchain, decentralized digital identity (digital certificates and digital wallets), federated learning, multi-party computation, secure hardware, or succinct and zero-knowledge proofs.

The University of Luxembourg is seeking to hire a highly motivated and outstanding researcher for Advanced Satellite Communications within its Signal Processing and Communications (SIGCOM) research group. Under the leadership of Prof. Symeon Chatzinotas, our research group is at the forefront of Wireless/Satellite Communications, Networking, and Quantum Communications. Our research areas focus on the formulation, modeling, design, and analysis of future 5G and beyond communication networks that can support new services in a cost-efficient manner. Use cases of interest include IoT verticals, unmanned aerial vehicles, integrated satellite-space-terrestrial networks, quantum communications and key distribution, spectrum management and coexistence, tactile Internet, and autonomous transportation. As far as technical enablers are concerned, we leverage expertise on massive MIMO cell-free communications, smart-radio environments using intelligent surfaces, machine-type and ultra-reliable and low-latency communications, edge computing and caching, RAN slicing, and network softwarization and visualization. Due to the large-scale nature, complexity, and heterogeneity of 5G and beyond networks, for their analysis and optimization, we use tools such as artificial intelligence/machine learning, graph theory and graph-signal processing, and convex/non-convex optimization.

Furthermore, our activities are experimentally driven and supported by the SDR CommLab, with its unique in-house developed End-to-End MIMO Satellite Emulator, the SDN Lab, the 6G-Space Lab, our SW Simulators, and our Over-the-air (OTA) Facilities. https://wwwen.uni.lu/snt/research/sigcom.

We’re looking for people driven by excellence, excited about innovation, and looking to make a difference. If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place!

This is a fully funded position for 12 months in the HEXAPIC project, which is conducted in collaboration with Prof. Leon Kos’s team at the University of Ljubljana.

The HEXAPIC project aims to develop a novel high-performance Particle-In-Cell (PIC) code for plasma physics simulations, leveraging the capabilities of exascale computing systems. By optimising PIC algorithms for modern heterogeneous architectures, including CPUs, GPUs, and other accelerators, the project seeks to achieve unprecedented efficiency and resolution in plasma simulations. This advancement will enable high-fidelity modelling of complex plasma processes, contributing significantly to fields such as fusion reactor design, material deposition technologies, and space propulsion systems. The project brings together a multidisciplinary team to push the boundaries of plasma physics and computational science.

This is a fully funded position for 24 months in the HEXAPIC project conducted in collaboration with the team of Prof. Leon Kos at University of Ljubljana.

The HEXAPIC project aims to develop a novel high-performance Particle-In-Cell (PIC) code for plasma physics simulations, leveraging the capabilities of exascale computing systems. By optimizing PIC algorithms for modern heterogeneous architectures, including CPUs, GPUs, and other accelerators, the project seeks to achieve unprecedented efficiency and resolution in plasma simulations. This advancement will enable high-fidelity modeling of complex plasma processes, contributing significantly to fields such as fusion reactor design, material deposition technologies, and space propulsion systems. The project brings together a multidisciplinary team to push the boundaries of plasma physics and computational science.

We are looking for a candidate with a PhD in Finance/Economics/Business/Statistics/Computer Science, preferably with a specialization in Sustainability but not limited to that, as Asset Pricing, Financial Institutions, Risk Management are areas of research focus in our department. Applications from PhD candidates who will have started their final year of doctoral studies before that date may be considered.

We are seeking a highly-motivated Postdoctoral Fellow in Cryptography and Privacy.

To this end, one postdoctoral fellow will be hired on the project to conduct the following tasks:

• Lead high-impact research in the fields of Cryptography and Privacy
• Perform teaching activities in fields of expertise at bachelor, master and PhD levels (max 90 hours/year)
• Help with daily supervision of Ph.D and M.Sc. students
• Participate to the writing of research funding proposals

The postdoctoral fellow will report to the group head, Prof. Dr. Alex Biryukov.

We are looking for a candidate with a PhD in commercial law, preferably with a specialization in European banking and financial law. (N.B. applications from PhD candidates who will have started their final year of doctoral studies before that date may be considered).

In particular, the following requirements apply

• Proven ability to autonomously conduct research at a post-doctoral level
• Proven ability to work individually as well as part of a team
• Have the linguistic skills to evolve in a multilingual environment: fluency in English and French. Good understanding of a third language, German in particular, will be considered an advantage
• Excellent communication and writing skills
• Solid IT skills

We seek a highly motivated bioinformatician or computational biologist who is well versed in the statistical and machine learning analysis of biomedical data and bioscientific programming for a project on the study of neurological disorders. The candidate should have experience in the analysis of large-scale biomedical data (e.g., omics or clinical data), using statistical methods, pathway/network analysis or machine learning. The candidate will conduct integrative analyses of biomedical datasets, with a focus on omics data. This will include implementing and applying software analysis pipelines and interpreting disease-related data together with experimental and clinical collaborators. Bioinformatics analyses guided by prior mechanistic knowledge will be conducted, exploiting the known grouping structures among features in the omics data, using dedicated approaches for structured data analysis. With the help of statistics, machine learning and pathway- and network- and analyses, the goal is to improve the mechanistic understanding of disease-associated alterations.

We seek a highly motivated bioinformatician or computational biologist who is well versed in the statistical and machine learning analysis of biomedical data and bioscientific programming for a project on the study of neurological disorders. The candidate should have experience in the analysis of large-scale biomedical data (e.g., omics or clinical data), using statistical methods, pathway/network analysis or machine learning. The candidate will conduct integrative analyses of biomedical datasets, with a focus on omics data. This will include implementing and applying software analysis pipelines and interpreting disease-related data together with experimental and clinical collaborators. Bioinformatics analyses guided by prior mechanistic knowledge will be conducted, exploiting the known grouping structures among features in the omics data, using dedicated approaches for structured data analysis. With the help of statistics, machine learning and pathway- and network- and analyses, the goal is to improve the mechanistic understanding of disease-associated alterations.

The candidate will be funded through an industry partnership with Luxembourg’s Ministry for Digitalisation, as well as other industry partnerships or public research projects. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research, exploring the design, implementation and instantiation of Luxembourg’s digital identity wallet and the European digital identity wallets (EUDIW) and their implications on privacy and security, as well as other technical, organizational, and regulatory aspects. The candidate would perform, among others, the following tasks

The successful candidate will become a member of the Luxembourg team of the “Health Behaviour in School-aged Children – HBSC” network (www.hbsc.lu). The HBSC network is an international cooperation of researchers that collaborate on the cross-national survey of school-aged children (www.hbsc.org). HBSC collects survey data every four years on adolescents’ health and well-being, social environments and health behaviours. The aim of the project is to understand young people’s health in their social context. The data collected is analysed both at the national level and at the international level.

The HBSC Luxembourg country team is situated at the Centre for Childhood and Youth Research (CCY) within the Department of Social Sciences. The CCY comprises a multidisciplinary research team that examines the conditions and opportunity structures of growing up against the backdrop of social change and inequalities. It maintains strong links to other institutes and relevant organizations within and beyond the department, both nationally and internationally.

We are offering a 21-month postdoc position in the form of a full-time employment at the University of Luxembourg, funded by the FNR (”TRANSCEND-PD” BRIDGES proposal to Prof. KRÜGER) and in close collaboration with the R&D pharmaceutical company Accure Therapeutics (Barcelona, Spain), for the development of a new drug for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The project aims at understanding the cellular and molecular alterations underlying PD pathogenesis. Here we propose an innovative pharmacological approach based on ACT-02, a small molecule that inhibits the activity of Prolyl Endopeptidase (PREP) enzyme. This protein has been previously linked to PD being implicated in the appearance of typical disease-related alterations, such as organelles malfunctioning (mitochondria, lysosomes) and accumulation of alpha-synuclein (a cardinal hallmark of PD). In this project we will first test the efficacy of ACT-02 in iPSC-derived neuronal models from PD patients carrying distinct genetic forms of PD (i.e., PINK1, SNCA and GBA1), and then validate relevant findings in the corresponding PD mouse models (in collaboration with international partners). We are confident that this experimental approach will help dissecting the contribution of PREP to PD pathogenesis and allow to identify PD patient subgroups potentially eligible for future ACT-02 clinical trials.

We are offering a 21-month postdoc position in the form of a full-time employment at the University of Luxembourg, funded by the FNR (”TRANSCEND-PD” BRIDGES proposal to Prof. KRÜGER) and in close collaboration with the R&D pharmaceutical company Accure Therapeutics (Barcelona, Spain), for the development of a new drug for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The project aims at understanding the cellular and molecular alterations underlying PD pathogenesis. Here we propose an innovative pharmacological approach based on ACT-02, a small molecule that inhibits the activity of Prolyl Endopeptidase (PREP) enzyme. This protein has been previously linked to PD being implicated in the appearance of typical disease-related alterations, such as organelles malfunctioning (mitochondria, lysosomes) and accumulation of alpha-synuclein (a cardinal hallmark of PD). In this project we will first test the efficacy of ACT-02 in iPSC-derived neuronal models from PD patients carrying distinct genetic forms of PD (i.e., PINK1, SNCA and GBA1), and then validate relevant findings in the corresponding PD mouse models (in collaboration with international partners). We are confident that this experimental approach will help dissecting the contribution of PREP to PD pathogenesis and allow to identify PD patient subgroups potentially eligible for future ACT-02 clinical trials.

The candidate will be involved in extensive experimental work, including cellular (neuronal differentiation, drug treatment) and molecular/functional analyses (assessment of mitochondrial and lysosomal function, investigation of intracellular signaling pathways, evaluation of dopaminergic neurons activity and viability).

The successful candidate will join the CryptoLux team led by Prof. Alex Biryukov. He or she will contribute to a research project entitled “Advanced Cryptography for Finance and Privacy (CryptoFin)”, which is funded by the Luxembourgish Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR) through the CORE program. Candidates with research interests in one or more of the following areas are particularly encouraged to apply:

• Applied or symmetric cryptography
• Cryptofinance, cryptoeconomics, blockchains
• Anonymity and privacy on the Internet