Post doctoral position in gene therapy for genetic inner ear diseases

The team is part of the Institut Reconnect (Institut Pasteur, Paris).

Team’s mission: 

Hearing loss is the most common human sensory disorder, affecting ~430 million people worldwide and causing major social and economic burden. Increasing evidence further identifies hearing impairment as a major risk factor for cognitive decline, dementia, and insomnia, underscoring its broad public health impact. Hearing relies on the sophisticated mechanics of the hearing organ, the cochlea, where outer hair cells (OHCs) amplify the incoming sound vibrations and inner hair cells (IHCs) the genuine sensory cells convert sound vibrations into electrical signals by releasing glutamate onto auditory nerve fibers, thereby transmitting auditory information to the brain. Dysfunction of sensory hair cells causes hearing loss, ranging from mild to profound deafness. Genetic causes account for approximately 80% of congenital cases, with pathogenic variants identified in over 150 genes. Although hearing aids and cochlear implants have considerably improved the management of hearing impairment, these technologies remain compensatory rather than curative. Over the past decade, adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene therapy has emerged as a promising strategy for treating monogenic hearing loss. In several preclinical mouse models, AAV-mediated gene replacement has successfully restored auditory thresholds and cochlear function. More recently, early-phase clinical trials targeting OTOF-associated recessive auditory neuropathy have reported encouraging improvements in hearing in treated children and adults. Together, these studies provide compelling evidence for the clinical feasibility of inner-ear gene therapy and mark a shift from symptomatic rehabilitation toward targeted molecular therapies for genetic hearing disorders.

Our lab focuses on hereditary and acquired human deafness to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of hearing, to elucidate the pathogenic processes underlying hearing loss, and to prevent or to cure deafness. During the last ten years, our team’s efforts were focused on the development of gene therapy for inner ear defect and established the proof of concept for five deafness forms DFNB59 (Cell, 2015), Usher 1G (PNAS, 2017; JCI Insighjt 2024), Usher 3A (JCI, 2018), DFNB9 (PNAS 2019; Commun. Med 2025), and DFNB16 (Clin. Transl. Med 2026).

The team members have the skills and expertise to generate mouse models for human inner ear disorders, including auditory and vestibular synaptopathies, presbycusis and noise induced hearing loss, and perform in-depth functional analyses of auditory and vestibular dysfunction in mouse. The research team consists of undergraduates, graduate students, engineers, post docs, residents and ENTS working together on translational projects. 

The full-time postdoctoral position will lead projects related to gene therapy in mouse model for human inner ear defect. These projects will require strong interest in sensory systems with knowledge and training in neuroscience. This includes gene expression analysis, molecular and cell biology, confocal and two photon imaging, in vivo gene delivery amongst other techniques, and aptitude in working animal models.

We are seeking a highly motivated post-doctoral fellow to join an enthusiastic and collaborative team in an outstanding scientific environment to carry out research.

The ideal candidate should have a PhD in neuroscience, cell biology, molecular biology or a related discipline with experience in experimental approaches using rodent models. Expertise in mice handling, including behavioral or surgical procedures in vivo, will be considered an advantage.

Necessary skills include creativity, ability to work independently and as well as in a team, good oral and written communication abilities in English.