We are looking for a qualified individual to be involved in the below project. The candidate will work with a dynamic team to study the metabolic regulation of immune cells during the NASH to NASH-HCC progression.

Metabolic regulation of immune dysfunction during the progression of NASH to NASH-HCC

Description:

The lack of effective treatments for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and NASH-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (NASH-HCC) underscores the need to understand the transition from NASH to NASH-HCC. Identifying why some NASH patients develop HCC while others do not is a significant challenge, with growing evidence indicating that immune dysregulation plays a crucial role in this progression. The interstitial space, where cells receive nutrients and signals, significantly impacts immune function, suggesting that understanding the liver"s metabolic environment could reveal how immune cells behave during NASH progression to HCC. By profiling interstitial fluid metabolism and single-cell transcriptomics, the team aims to understand the metabolic regulation of the immune landscape in NASH to NASH-HCC progression. Using a high-fat, high-fructose, and high-cholesterol dietary mouse model that mirrors human progression, the team will study the metabolic and immune changes leading to NASH-HCC. In addition, the team's preliminary findings show immune alterations and reduced levels of the bile acid hyodeoxycholic acid (HDCA) during NASH-HCC transition. The identified candidate will also test the potential of HDCA in preventing NASH to HCC transition, and further explore HDCA"s effects on immune cells.

Job responsibilities:

• Conduct in vitro wet lab experiments (e.g. cell culture, molecular biology and assays, microscopy etc)
• Conduct in vivo animal experiments (e.g. diet/treatment regimes, body weight & composition analyses, metabolic phenotyping, blood sampling etc)
• Conduct end-point animal experiments (e.g. terminal blood collection, tissue collection and sample preparation, whole tissue/organ imaging, serum measurements etc)
• Analyze collected data and maintain accurate monitoring and reporting of experimental set-up, results and research findings
• Interact and collaborate with and assist other researchers and collaborators on related projects
• Communicate regularly with supervisor and join discussions with Principal Investigator and rest of the lab to discuss scientific progress and direction
• Assist in the preparation of grant applications and grant process reports
• Present findings both orally and in written form via presentations and publication in peer-reviewed journal
• Assist in the preparation of figures and manuscripts on the research projects for publication in peer-reviewed journals
• Contribute to other program-related projects and organizations and with the general scientific community across A*STAR