Pre-doctoral Research Fellow

📍 Work location: Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 | Pieve Emanuele (MI)

📄 Contract type: A 1-year research contract starting from January 2027, with the possibility of progression to a 3-year PhD program (December 2027-December 2030) at Humanitas University.

Why Humanitas

Choosing Humanitas means joining an environment where quality of care is built every day through clinical expertise, innovation and teamwork, where everyone contributes to the patient care journey.

Who we are

Humanitas Research Hospital is a highly specialized research and university hospital, and the first in Italy to be certified as an Academic Hospital by the Joint Commission International. Research is driven daily by over 500 physicians, biologists, physicists, data scientists, and technologists working across hospital wards and 10,000 sqm of high-tech laboratories. Our mission is to transform discoveries into concrete cures, with a strategic focus on five key areas: cancer, immunology, neuroscience, gastrointestinal medicine, and molecular cardiology.

The context

We are seeking a highly motivated and talented pre-doctoral research fellow to join the project “Deciphering the A-to-I RNA Editing Contribution to Cardiac Remodeling and Heart Failure: A Novel Therapeutic Approach” (EDICARE), funded by the Italian Ministry of Health.

The position will be available from January 2027 and will be based at the Cardio Center of Humanitas Research Hospital in Milan, Italy. The successful candidate will work under the supervision of the project’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Valeriana Cesarini.

The EDICARE project aims to elucidate the role of A-to-I RNA editing, mediated by ADAR1 and ADAR2 enzymes, in cardiac remodeling and heart failure. The research integrates omics approaches, in vivo mouse models of heart failure, and in vitro systems with the goal of identifying RNA editing-based therapeutic strategies and novel prognostic biomarkers.

Key tasks and responsibilities

• Maintenance of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and cardiomyocyte cultures.
• Design and evaluation of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to induce or inhibit site-specific RNA editing using the Site-Directed RNA Editing (SDRE) platform.
• Perform cell transfections (e.g., Lipofectamine) and infections (lentiviral vectors).
• Validate RNA editing events through PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing.
• Support functional characterization of cardiomyocytes, including assays for cell viability, apoptosis, oxidative stress markers, contractility, Ca²⁺ transients, and electrophysiological profiling.
• Work with animal models (e.g., mouse colony management and organ explant preparation)
• Contribute to histological and immunohistochemical analyses of cardiac tissues.
• Maintain accurate, detailed, and reproducible records of all experimental procedures.
• Contribute to data analysis, manuscript preparation, and dissemination of research findings.

The person we are looking for:

• Master’s degree or higher in Biology, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Cell Biology, or a related discipline.
• Proven experience in cell culture techniques; experience with IPs and primary cell cultures is highly desirable.
• Solid hands-on experience with core molecular biology techniques, including RNA/DNA/protein extraction, PCR, qPCR, Sanger sequencing, and Western blotting.
• Experience with animal models (e.g., mouse colony management, organ explant preparation) is desirable; certification for animal experimentation is a plus.
• Familiarity with functional cardiomyocyte assays (e.g., calcium imaging, patch-clamp electrophysiology) is a plus.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.

What we offer

Working at Humanitas means contributing to a future where care, wellbeing and professional excellence grow together. For this reason, we offer:

• a wellbeing programme;
• practical work-life balance measures
• training and development opportunities to foster talent and enhance skills in a dynamic and innovative environment.

This offer is open to candidates in compliance with Legislative Decrees 198⁄2006, 215⁄2003 and 216⁄2003.