positions

Our lab combines experiments and theory to explore common principles in biology. We found universality in aging features across divers organisms including bacteria. We are looking for an experimental Ph. D student/postdoc fellow, to study the dynamics of E. coli survival and aging

Ferroptosis is a newly discovered cell death pathway driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. We recently discovered new inducers of ferroptosis, and specific metabolic states that increase vulnerability to ferroptosis, and thus can be used for cancer therapy. We have multidisciplinary projects related to ferroptosis in TNBC, and we are currently looking for a talented and enthusiastic postdoc to join us.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive disease that affects young women and currently has no effective treatment. The goal of our studies is to identify new therapeutic strategies for this particular subtype of breast cancer. Synthetic lethality is a powerful approach to selectively eliminate vulnerable cancer cells, and thus can be exploited for cancer therapy. Many studies including our own indicate that synthetic lethality screens could be a promising approach to identify novel drug targets for TNBC. A postdoctoral position is available to establish a genome-wide synthetic lethal screen to identify potent combination therapies for TNBC subtypes.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) or “exosomes” are secreted for all cell types and play critical role in cell-cell communication. In cancer, sEVs are involved in metastasis and can confer drug resistance. We recently showed that sEVs can be used as an excellent tool for early detection of breast cancer and for monitoring drug response. A postdoctoral position is available to investigate exosomes biology in cancer.  

Within the past decade, major advances have been made in the treatment of melanoma through the use of targeted therapy and immunotherapy, however responses are not universal and are not always durable. The project aims to further delineate the interactions of melanoma cells with the immune system to better understand molecular and immune mechanisms of therapeutic response and resistance. Our lab combines genomic tools, systems biology tools, advanced somatic cell knockout and knock-in techniques and various comprehensive mouse model approaches to study melanoma immune-genetics. Our studies link basic biology, computational biology and clinical studies. Trainees will learn sophisticated technologies such as whole exome sequencing, Riboseq, HLA-peptidomics,  somatic cell knockouts and expression and proteomic analyses. Candidates who wish to join the group may contact me at: Yardena.samuels@weizmann.ac.il