We are looking for an enthusiastic Postdoc/PhD to join our research group to study gene regulation in neurodevelopment with a focus on how NR2F1 dosage shapes the specification of neuronal lineages and the formation of cortical circuits.
NR2F1 is a key transcription factor controlling embryonic neuronal development. Mutations and deletions of NR2F1 lead to Bosch-Boonstra-Schaaf optic atrophy syndrome (BBSOAS). Using neuronal cells derived from CRISPR/Cas9 engineered human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) we model distinct NR2F1 dosages to study their effects across neuronal differentiation. By integrating time-resolved bulk (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, Hi-C) obtained from neuronal lineages cultured in 2D cells and single-cell multi-omics (scRNA-seq, scATAC-seq, Multiome) data generated in 3D forebrain dorsal organoids, we aim to map regulatory networks sensitive to NR2F1 expression levels.
Our group studies the fundamental principles of embryonic neuronal development by combining genomics, gene editing, and bioinformatics. We offer an international, dynamic, and supportive research environment that fosters creativity and career growth. The AG Laugsch is embedded within Heidelberg’s excellent computational biology network, fostering close collaborations with experts like Carl Herrmann (Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology), and Julio Saez-Rodriguez (Systems Biomedicine, Institute of Computational Biomedicine. If you are a curiosity-driven researcher who enjoys interdisciplinary teamwork and tackling complex biological questions through data, we would be delighted to hear from you. The application must include your motivation, a brief statement of your scientific interests, contact details from three references, curriculum vitae, separated publication list, and relevant certificates.
https://www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de/humangenetik/forschung/ag-laugsch/
Literature
https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.06.25.734423
https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.05.01.722223
doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2019.03.004.
