Recruitment

Special recruitment to the Wroclaw Doctoral School of Institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences for the Ph.D. student position in the program “Implementation doctorate I”, financed by Ministry of Education and Science in Poland  

INSTITUTION: Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences
CITY: Wrocław
POSITION: Ph.D. student in the program “Implementation doctorate I”, financed by Ministry of Education and Science (MEiN) in Poland 
SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINE: biological sciences
DATE OF ANNOUNCEMENT: 11/08/2022
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS: 14/09/2022
THE COMPETITION DECISION DATE: 20/09/2022
LINK TO THE WSD IPAN WEBSITE: http://wsdipan.intibs.pl
LINK TO THE IITD PAN WEBSITE: https://hirszfeld.pl/
KEYWORDS: Diagnostic algorithm, colorectal cancer, hereditary cancer predisposition, MMR genes, next generation sequencing, MS-MLPA, quantitative PCR

Wroclaw Doctoral School of Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences (WSD IPAN) announces a special recruitment for a PhD student - scholarship holder in the 6th edition of the "Implementation PhD I" program - topic: "Development of a molecular diagnostic algorithm in patients with colorectal cancer - a comprehensive study of hereditary predisposition to HNPCC in relation to the molecular characterization of tumor tissue and clinical data ", commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Science (DWD/6/0426/2022) under the supervision of dr. hab. Małgorzata Cebrat at the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology of the Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy of the Polish Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the Lower Silesian Center of Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology.

1. Description of the research project

Lynch's syndrome is diagnosed in approximately 3-4% of colorectal cancer patients. The average age of onset of the disease in carriers of pathogenic variants in the genes critical for HNPCC is about 44 years (in sporadic cases 60-70 years), and the risk of the disease increases with age: in men it is 80%, and in women 40%. In the HNPCC spectrum, other cancers are also diagnosed, such as: female endometrium and ovary, small intestine, stomach, urinary system, bladder and bile ducts, pancreas, CNS.

The genetic basis of HNPCC is the presence of germinal pathogenic variants in the DNA mismatch repair genes (MMR): MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2, and in the EPCAM gene, which show an autosomal dominant effect. This leads to a disturbance of DNA repair, the accumulation of mutations in the cell and the formation of the so-called mutator phenotype with microsatellite instability.

Immunohistochemical MMR IHC tests (detection of the lack of expression of proteins encoded by MMR genes) performed in colorectal tumors allow for the identification of potential carriers of MMR genes mutations, but it is necessary to exclude from this group of patients with tissue microsatellite instability and loss of MLH1 gene expression from due to hypermethylation of its promoter and / or mutation of the BRAF V600 gene (characteristic of 15-20% of sporadic colorectal cancers).

Currently, DCOPiH is gradually implementing comprehensive diagnostics and care for patients with suspected HNPCC. The aim of the project is to establish close cooperation between the clinical department, the molecular laboratory and the Genetic Clinic, as well as to introduce a diagnostic algorithm and to shorten the time of testing at reduced costs as much as possible.

2. Additional information

The Ph.D. student program is performed based on the Communication of 29.04.2022 of MEiN on the establishment of the “Implementation Doctorate” program that grants the PhD fellowship, defined in the Act of 20 July 2018 – Law on higher education and science (Dz. U. no. 1668 as amended) in article 209 paragraph 1, as below.

The total Ph.D. fellowship per month will be provided:

a.      3450 PLN (gross) – till the month of the mid-term evaluation (planned at the end of II academic year);

b.      4450 PLN (gross) – starting from the next month after the mid-term evaluation (during III and IV academic years).

3. Duties of the PhD student-scholarship holder:

- timely implementation of an individual research plan, consistent with the schedule of the implementation doctorate,

- preparation of material for research, analysis of available literature, selection of diagnostic panels, design of the NGS panel, development of research methodology, performance of research, processing of the obtained data

- analysis and presentation of experimental results, preparation of reports and scientific publications, participation in scientific conferences,

- implementation of the education program and tasks resulting from the duties of the doctoral student of the WSD IPAN.

- preparation and submission of the doctoral dissertation at the end of the 4th year of doctorate at the latest and obtaining the doctoral degree

4. Requirements:

• master's degree in medical analitycs current license to practice as a laboratory diagnostician
• research interests in the field of human genetics
• knowledge and experience in experimental work on human material in the field of molecular biology methods
• good command of the English language 

5. Required documents (in accordance with the document Admission rules to the Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences):

• a completed integrated form downloaded from the WSD IPAN website containing: application for admission to the School, personal questionnaire and a declaration that in the event of admission to the WSD IPAN it will be the only doctoral school in which the Candidate will study;
• curriculum vitae containing a list of scientific publications, scholarships and awards, a list of conferences in which the Candidate participated, along with the titles and authors of the speeches;
• a letter of application containing a short description of scientific interests and achievements as well as justification of the intention to start education at the doctoral school;
• a copy of the diploma confirming graduation or a certificate of obtaining a master's degree, or a certificate of the set date of defense;
• a copy (copy) of the entire index of first-cycle and second-cycle studies (or long-cycle studies), or a diploma supplement with grades for the entire studies, or student grade cards for all years of study, confirmed by the dean's office;
• English language certificate at the B2 level or higher (does not apply to candidates who passed the final exam at this level during their studies),

Additional obligatory document:

Statement of the Lower Silesian Center of Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology that in the case of admission to Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences the candidate will remain or will be employed (not later than from 1.10.2022) on the full time in the period of the doctoral studies and the consent to His/Her education in the doctoral school within the program and providing Him/Her an auxiliary advisor out of the company staff.

 6. Application forms to the School should be submitted by 14/09/2022 by 3:00  PM:

• in person at the School (INTiBS PAN ul. Okólna 2 in Wrocław) from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, or
• by registered mail or courier (the date of receipt of documents at the School is decisive) to the following address: WSD IPAN, ul. Okólna 2, 50-422 Wrocław, or
• electronically to the address   (with an adnotation WD_MC), the original documents should be delivered before starting the education.

7. Information clause:

Based on Article. 13 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (Journal of Laws UE L 119 of 04/05/2016, p. 1), hereinafter referred to as "GDPR", I would like to inform you that:

• The administrator of your personal data is the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy Polish Academy of Sciences in Wrocław, ul. Rudolfa Weigl 12, 53-114 Wrocław
• The administrator of personal data can be contacted by letter to the address given in point 1 above, or by phone at 71 3709940, and the data protection officer appointed by him can be contacted in all matters regarding data processing via the e-mail account: iod @ hirszfeld.pl or by post to the registered office address.
• Personal data will be processed in order to perform the administrator's tasks related to recruitment for a research project entitled " Development of a molecular diagnostic algorithm in patients with colorectal cancer - a comprehensive study of hereditary predisposition to HNPCC in relation to the molecular characterization of tumor tissue and clinical data ", commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Science (DWD/6/0426/2022) and to the Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, thus your personal data will be processed on the basis of the Act of 20 July 2018 Law on Higher Education and Science (Article 6 (1) (c) of the GDPR), the Controller's legitimate interest in the implementation of the research project (Article 6 (1) (f) of the GDPR).
• Providing your personal data by you is voluntary, but necessary to achieve the above-mentioned purposes.
• Personal data collected in the current recruitment process will be kept during the recruitment period.
• The person whose data is processed has the right to: access personal data, request the rectification of personal data, request the deletion of personal data, request to limit the processing of personal data, object to the processing of data due to a special situation.
• The person whose data is processed also has the right to lodge a complaint with the President of the Personal Data Protection Office, if it is found that the Administrator has breached the provisions on the protection of personal data.
• As a result of processing, decisions will not be made in an automated manner (without human intervention), including not based on profiling.
• Personal data may be made available to our authorized employees, processors, i.e. those performing activities on our behalf (eg IT and accounting services), and the personal data of a Candidate selected in the competition may then be made available to third parties authorized by law.