Postdoctoral position in Cancer Metabolism / Therapy Resistance

Our research group is part of the Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, a multi-disciplinary and international biomedical research institute of the UCLouvain in Brussels. Our research aims at understanding the metabolism of therapy-resistant cancer cells (incl. cancer stem cells) and the interplay thereof with the tumor microenvironment in order to provide new therapeutic opportunities overcoming conventional treatment escape.

Recent publications (selection)

Van den bossche et al Nat Commun 2025 ; Desgres et al J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2025; Ibanez et al Adv Sci 2025 ; Richiardone et al Cancer Lett 2025 ; Glowacka et al Nat Commun 2024.

We are looking for an ambitious candidate to pursue an exciting post-doctoral project in our lab, entitled “Lipid metabolism reprogramming in head and neck cancers: exploring metabolic dependencies and therapeutic vulnerabilities” aiming at understanding how metabolic reprogramming, driven by the tumor microenvironment, shapes head and neck cancer progression, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic vulnerabilities.

You will have the opportunity to work at the interface of cancer biology, metabolism, and translational research, and to collaborate closely with both basic scientists and clinicians.

A 3-year postdoc fellowship is available from January 1^st 2026. The candidate will join a young and dynamic team, and will have the opportunity to work on high-impact projects in a multidisciplinary environment with excellent training conditions.

The candidate must hold a PhD in Biomedical Sciences, Molecular/Cellular Biology, Biochemistry or equivalent, with a maximum of three years of postdoctoral experience. The candidate must be in a situation of international mobility and/or has not resided in or carried out her/his main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 24 months during the three years preceding the project start date.

Strong background in tumor biology and metabolism is required. Previous experience in 3D spheroid/organoid culturing will be a strong asset. The candidate must be highly motivated and quality-oriented. A good command of English (spoken and written), good communication skills, and ability to design, perform and analyze experiments independently as well as in a team are necessary. Mentoring of 1 to 2 students (PhD or undergraduates) is likely to be required during the project.