PhD in Cancer Mechanobiology and Mechanosensitive Calcium Channels at University of Poitiers University of Poitiers in France

PhD opportunity in cancer mechanobiology at the 4CS Laboratory, University of Poitiers, France, focused on the development of novel mechanosensitive calcium channel modulators for controlling solid tumor metastatic dissemination.

The project aims to understand how calcium-permeable mechanosensitive channels contribute to cancer cell migration, invasion, phenotypic plasticity, and metastasis, and to screen/optimize selective inhibitors as potential anti-metastatic agents.

Research methods include cell and mechanobiology (2D/3D culture, wound healing, xCELLigence migration/invasion assays), calcium biology (FlexStation3 assays, live calcium videomicroscopy, mechanosensitivity assays), medicinal chemistry and computational virtual screening, biophysics & pharmacology (dose-response profiling, microscale thermophoresis), and in vivo imaging using zebrafish xenograft models.

Eligibility highlights: Master’s degree or equivalent in pharmacology, cell biology, cancer biology, biochemistry, or a related field; strong bench skills in cell culture and standard molecular biology techniques; interest in cancer research, medicinal chemistry, mechanotransduction, and ion channel biology. Experience in ion channels or drug discovery is a plus, and animal experimentation accreditation is preferred.

Funding/contract: 3-year PhD contract. The post does not specify stipend amount or tuition details.

Application: start date indicated as October 1st 2026 / Fall 2026. Applicants should email CV, cover letter, and two reference letters to [email protected] with the subject line PhD Application – Mechanosensitive Channels.