Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

Universidad Miguel Hernández

Instituto de Neurociencias

Víctor Borrell

Bioinformatics predoctoral position - fully funded

Neurogenesis and Cortical Expansion Group

Instituto de Neurociencias, Alicante (CSIC-UMH)
Web: https://vborrelllab.wixsite.com/website

Project: “Genetic regulation of cortical stem cell lineages in amniote evolution”

Funding:
AEI Predoctoral contract (FPI)
Expected starting date: Inmediate
Duration: December 2026

The Neurogenesis and Cortical Expansion Lab led by Víctor Borrell is seeking a highly
motivated student to develop a PhD in our team at the Institute of Neuroscience in Alicante,
Spain, a “Severo Ochoa Excellence Research Center”. The predoctoral researcher will work on
a project funded by a Plan Nacional project that aims at understanding the evolution of
mechanisms regulating gene expression in neural stem cells during embryonic development
and relevant for the increased size and cellular complexity of the cerebral cortex in amniotes.

The predoctoral researcher will be involved in the bioinformatic analysis of high dimensional
genomic datasets (RNA-seq, ATACseq, Hi-C) at the bulk and single cell level. The project
involves the analysis of genomic data from multiple non-conventional species (snake, chicken,
mouse, ferret), and integration across species for meta-analyses.

The candidate must have a strong background on the bioinformatic analysis of genome-wide
datasets (i.e. use of Seurat, Monocle), profound skills in programming language (R, Python) and
proficiency in statistics. Genuine interest for basic biomedical and interdisciplinary research will
be valued, as interaction with wet-bench researchers in the lab is key for the success of this
project. Additional specific training may be provided as needed, including collaborative visits to
the NY Genome Center (NY, USA).

We offer a fully funded FPI contract (4 years) associated to this research project. The
candidate will join a research team of three postdoctoral researchers, seven PhD students and
two technicians. The lab and the Institute of Neuroscience offers extensive networking and
additional training opportunities.

 Chinnappa K, Villalba A, Márquez-Galera A, Prieto-Colomina A, Nomura Y, Cárdenas A, Llorens E,

Soler R, Tomasello U, López-Atalaya JP, Borrell V (2022) Secondary loss of miR-3607 reduced
cortical progenitor amplification during rodent evolution. Science Advances 8 (2), eabj4010
 Fernández V, Martínez-Martínez MA, Prieto-Colomina A, Cárdenas A, Soler R, Dori M, Tomasello U,
Nomura Y, López-Atalaya JP, Calegari C, Borrell V (2020) Repression of Irs2 by let-7 miRNAs is
essential for homeostasis of the telencephalic neuroepithelium. EMBO J 19:e105479
 Llinares-Benadero C, Borrell V. “Deconstructing cerebral cortical folding: genetic, celular and
mechanical determinants.” Nat Rev Neurosci 20:161-176 (2019)
 Cárdenas A. , Villalba A, De Juan Romero C, Picó E, Kyrousi C, Tzika AC, Tessier-Lavigne M,
Ma L, Drukker M, Cappello S, Borrell V. “Evolution of cortical neurogenesis in amniotes controlled
by Robo signaling levels.” Cell 174:590-606 (2018)

Application
Candidates should submit a brief CV and a letter of motivation to: vborrell@umh.es
Please include “NCEG – Predoctoral position” in the subject of your email.

vborrell@umh.es Tel: +34 965919245 Av Ramón y Cajal s/n

@BorrellLab Fax: +34 965 919561 Campus de San Juan
www.ina.umh.es 03550 SAN JUAN DE ALICANTE– ESPAÑA