Postdoctoral Fellow in Translational Cancer Biology Université de Caen Normandie in France

Université de Caen Normandie is recruiting a Postdoctoral Fellow in Translational Cancer Biology to join Inserm U1086 ANTICIPE at the François Baclesse Comprehensive Cancer Center in Caen, France.

The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to the RESTOR project (Restoring sensitivity to DNA-damaging therapies through UBE2N inhibition), a translational cancer research programme funded by the French National Cancer Institute (INCa). The project explores whether inhibition of UBE2N, a regulator of DNA repair, replication fork stability and genome integrity, can create a therapeutically exploitable HRD-like state and restore sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy, PARP inhibitors and radiotherapy.

The research combines mechanistic cancer biology, DNA damage response, functional precision oncology, pharmacology, functional genomics and translational preclinical research. The successful candidate will study the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic effects of UBE2N inhibition using patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs), patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and cellular models from ovarian cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Key tasks include characterization of DNA damage response, homologous recombination, replication stress and replication fork stability; evaluation of combinations of UBE2N inhibitors with chemotherapy, PARP inhibition and radiotherapy; functional validation in PDTO and PDX models; investigation of treatment resistance; identification of predictive biomarkers; and transcriptomic and functional genomics analyses with consortium partners.

The postdoc will work in a highly collaborative environment with cancer biologists, clinicians, bioinformaticians and technology platforms across teams in Caen and Lille. The position offers access to ORGAPRED, an IBiSA-labelled and ISO9001-certified tumor organoid research platform, clinically annotated patient-derived models, and advanced technologies for imaging, drug screening and molecular characterization.

Applicants should hold a PhD in cancer biology, molecular biology, cell biology, pharmacology or a related discipline, have obtained it less than three years before the start date, and have practical experience in mouse experimentation. Experience with PDX models is strongly desirable, and experience with organoids, cancer immunology, transcriptomics or bioinformatics would be an advantage. Excellent scientific English and the ability to work autonomously in a multidisciplinary project are required.

Application deadline: 3 November 2026 at 23:59 UTC. Expected start date: 1 March 2027.