The team “Leukemia and niche dynamics” led by Diana Passaro is interested in exploring the mechanisms regulating cell-cell interaction in the bone marrow tissue during leukemogenesis. The vascularized BM tissue is a multicellular unit highly interconnected with the haematopoietic system in health and disease. How this unit participates into the development of acute leukemia is a fundamental missing piece of the puzzle. By combining cutting edge strategies such as intravital two-photon microscopy and tissue bioengineering, we aim at deciphering the role of specific mediators of this interaction in the context of acute leukemia.
The aim of the project is to explore the novel frontiers of 3D bio-printing to bioengineer a complex tissue mimicking the vascularized BM in vitro, providing an alternative flexible tool to genetically and pharmacologically manipulate individual cell types in a highly controllable manner.
This advanced tool will be used to analyse the response of the BM vasculature to specific leukemia-driven stimuli and evaluate the potential of novel targets in the niche to improve therapy response.
The candidate should be an enthusiastic and motivated scientist, with a PhD in life science or engineering disciplines and a background in cell biology, biomaterials and tissue bioengineering. Ideally, he/she should also have some previous experience in 3D printing, computing language (e.g. R, Phyton, Matlab) and simulation software (e.g. Comsol). Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English are required. The candidate will join the “Leukemia and Niche Dynamics” group at the Cochin Institute led by Dr Diana Passaro, and will work in an international and highly collaborative environment.