VIB-UAntwerp Postdoctoral Scientist in Computational Neurobiology, Antwerp, Belgium

VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology (Antwerp, Belgium) is recruiting a Postdoctoral scientist in the Computational Neurobiology Lab. The position focuses on isoform regulation in dementia, with a starting date of February 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Job Details

Company: VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology

Location: Antwerp, Belgium

Position: Postdoctoral scientist in the Computational Neurobiology Lab

Job Reference: 138263

Posted: 30 October 2026

Starting Date: February 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter

Project Details

The Computational Neurobiology lab studies causal mechanisms underlying normal and aberrant cellular decision-making in the human brain in health and neurodegenerative diseases, with emphasis on spatial chromatin organization in cell fate acquisition and maintenance, genome-wide profiling technologies, and statistical / machine-learning approaches for multimodal data integration and cis-regulatory network reconstruction.

This Alzheimer’s Association–supported project sits at the intersection of genetics, systems biology and computational biology and investigates regulatory mechanisms of cell-type-specific switching of alternative gene isoforms across dementia types.

The human brain shows exceptionally wide isoform diversity; recent data show widespread changes in isoform usage — specifically alternative transcription start sites (ATSS) and alternative transcription termination sites (ATTS) of causal disease genes — in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). Large-scale changes in 3D chromatin organization and epigenetic factors correlate with alternative splicing / exon usage, yet a systematic high-resolution genome-wide study of ATSS/ATTS choice mechanisms has been lacking.

The project aims to:

  1. build an isoform-specific regulatory atlas for the human brain in health and disease,
  2. identify causal regulatory elements and transcription factors determining ATSS and ATTS choice in disease, and
  3. identify putative causal disease isoforms with a genetic underpinning in dementia.

Eligibility Criteria

Profile (required): Either a fully computational background or a hybrid background with strong computational experience, as follows:

  • Fully computational background: PhD in computational biology, systems biology, bioinformatics or related disciplines
  • Hybrid background with strong computational experience: PhD in molecular biology, biomedical sciences, functional genomics or related disciplines

The notification also requires:

  • solid knowledge and experience in single-cell data analysis and multimodal data integration;
  • solid knowledge and experience in reconstruction and analysis of gene regulatory mechanisms;
  • solid knowledge of 3D chromatin organisation principles;
  • intermediate/advanced programming skills in R and/or Python;
  • excellent English communication and writing skills;
  • strong academic record.

Beneficial (not required):

  • experience analysing 3D chromatin organization data;
  • experience analysing proteomics data.

Additional Information

Offer:

  • financial support for two years with possible extension after positive evaluation;
  • support to apply for independent fellowships (FWO, MSCA, HFSP);
  • access to state-of-the-art experimental and computational core facilities;
  • dedicated VIB and UAntwerp training programmes;
  • stimulating international environment and collaborator network.

The host lab contributes to and benefits from the VIB Center for AI and Computational Biology.

Documents Required

  • CV (max 2 pages detailing dry-lab and any wet-lab skills and publications)
  • Motivation letter (1–1.5 pages) explaining fit to this project and career trajectory
  • Contact details of two referees

How to Apply

Submit your application via the VIB job application platform (https://jobs.vib.be/apply/138263) with the documents listed above.

For more information contact the lab via the emails listed on the VIB job page.

About VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology

The VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology has 9 PIs working on neurodegenerative disease genetics, diagnostics and treatment using yeast, fly, mouse, human pluripotent cell systems and organoids.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL NOTIFICATION / APPLY ONLINE

Apply through the VIB job application platform for job 138263.