Project title: “Perinatal mortality in laboratory rodents”
(financiado pelo Portugal 2020, no âmbito do Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização( COMPETE 2020) - e através da Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia)
Reference: PTDC/CVT-WEL/1202/2014
Internal Reference: PR771601
Candidate profile:
We are looking for highly motivated candidates with a strong background in animal behaviour for executing the work in the project. We welcome candidates with a degree in life sciences including psychology with research experience in animal behaviour and expertise in statistical analysis. Candidates are required to have a PhD at the start of the project. Excellent spoken and written English is a requirement. International experience and publication record will be considered.
Background and work plan:
The mouse is the predominant model organism in research and many animal facilities keep their own breeding colonies. Perinatal mortality is a considerable problem in mouse breeding, with consequences for both animal welfare and breeding logistics. In this study we will combine epidemiological and ethological methods to map risk factors and understand the course of events that lead to pup death and subsequently to present a prevention strategy. This comprehensive large-scale systematic study of perinatal mortality in mouse breeding combines epidemiology and ethology and builds on methods developed within our previous research. In the first task, laboratory mouse breeding routines and mortality will be mapped across breeding facilities in Portugal, Sweden and the UK. In the second task, we will assess the impact of the risk factors identified in the previous task, through a controlled interventive study at three selected breeding facilities. In the third task an ethological study will be carried out based on video recordings collected in the previous task, comparing females losing their litter and females successfully bringing their litter to weaning. The fourth task will analyze clinical data on the cause of pup death. Based on the results of the described studies, a preventive strategy will be proposed as the fifth and synthesizing task.
We are now recruiting a motivated postdoctoral research fellow to carry out the work in this project. The successful candidate will join the Laboratory Animal Science group at the i3S – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health in Porto, Portugal. Formed in 2005, this young and active research group has established itself as an important player in the field of
laboratory animal welfare and ethics research, with a solid research output and strong international and interdisciplinary collaborations. The present project involves international collaboration and whereas the candidate will be based in Porto, extended periods of field work will take place in the UK.
Application procedure:
Applications should include a letter of motivation, CV and 2 reference letters/contacts, and should be submitted on the IBMC webpage:
http://www.ibmc.up.pt/gestaocandidaturas/index.php?codigo=PR771601
between 5 and 29 June 2016.
Legislation and applicable laws: Employment at the IBMC is regulated by current laws relating to the Statute of Science Research Fellows of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. - 2015, namely Law 40/2004 of August 18, amended and republished by Decree-Law No. 202/2012 of 27 August and the Regulation of Scientific Research Studentships of the IBMC approved by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (www.ibmc.up.pt/fellowships.php)
Evaluation of applications:
Based on the written documentation (CV, motivation letter and references), the most qualified candidates will be selected for a personal interview. The total evaluation will be based on CV (70%, distributed over 30% previous relevant research experience, 30% publication record and 10% motivation letter) and interview (30%).
Jury: President: Anna Olsson (PhD); Ordinary members: Catarina Castro (PhD) and Ana Maria Valentim (PhD); Replacement members: Nuno Franco (PhD) and Colin Gilbert (PhD).
Grant conditions:
The fellowship is due to start in July 15th 2016. The initial grant will be awarded for 6 months, eventually renewable. The monthly amount of the fellowship is € 1495 (http://alfa.fct.mctes.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores) paid by bank transfer
(financiado pelo Portugal 2020, no âmbito do Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização( COMPETE 2020) - e através da Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia)
Reference: PTDC/CVT-WEL/1202/2014
Internal Reference: PR771601
Candidate profile:
We are looking for highly motivated candidates with a strong background in animal behaviour for executing the work in the project. We welcome candidates with a degree in life sciences including psychology with research experience in animal behaviour and expertise in statistical analysis. Candidates are required to have a PhD at the start of the project. Excellent spoken and written English is a requirement. International experience and publication record will be considered.
Background and work plan:
The mouse is the predominant model organism in research and many animal facilities keep their own breeding colonies. Perinatal mortality is a considerable problem in mouse breeding, with consequences for both animal welfare and breeding logistics. In this study we will combine epidemiological and ethological methods to map risk factors and understand the course of events that lead to pup death and subsequently to present a prevention strategy. This comprehensive large-scale systematic study of perinatal mortality in mouse breeding combines epidemiology and ethology and builds on methods developed within our previous research. In the first task, laboratory mouse breeding routines and mortality will be mapped across breeding facilities in Portugal, Sweden and the UK. In the second task, we will assess the impact of the risk factors identified in the previous task, through a controlled interventive study at three selected breeding facilities. In the third task an ethological study will be carried out based on video recordings collected in the previous task, comparing females losing their litter and females successfully bringing their litter to weaning. The fourth task will analyze clinical data on the cause of pup death. Based on the results of the described studies, a preventive strategy will be proposed as the fifth and synthesizing task.
We are now recruiting a motivated postdoctoral research fellow to carry out the work in this project. The successful candidate will join the Laboratory Animal Science group at the i3S – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health in Porto, Portugal. Formed in 2005, this young and active research group has established itself as an important player in the field of
laboratory animal welfare and ethics research, with a solid research output and strong international and interdisciplinary collaborations. The present project involves international collaboration and whereas the candidate will be based in Porto, extended periods of field work will take place in the UK.
Application procedure:
Applications should include a letter of motivation, CV and 2 reference letters/contacts, and should be submitted on the IBMC webpage:
http://www.ibmc.up.pt/gestaocandidaturas/index.php?codigo=PR771601
between 5 and 29 June 2016.
Legislation and applicable laws: Employment at the IBMC is regulated by current laws relating to the Statute of Science Research Fellows of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. - 2015, namely Law 40/2004 of August 18, amended and republished by Decree-Law No. 202/2012 of 27 August and the Regulation of Scientific Research Studentships of the IBMC approved by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (www.ibmc.up.pt/fellowships.php)
Evaluation of applications:
Based on the written documentation (CV, motivation letter and references), the most qualified candidates will be selected for a personal interview. The total evaluation will be based on CV (70%, distributed over 30% previous relevant research experience, 30% publication record and 10% motivation letter) and interview (30%).
Jury: President: Anna Olsson (PhD); Ordinary members: Catarina Castro (PhD) and Ana Maria Valentim (PhD); Replacement members: Nuno Franco (PhD) and Colin Gilbert (PhD).
Grant conditions:
The fellowship is due to start in July 15th 2016. The initial grant will be awarded for 6 months, eventually renewable. The monthly amount of the fellowship is € 1495 (http://alfa.fct.mctes.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores) paid by bank transfer