POST DOC POSITION : Targeting a preventative treatment for Parkinson’s disease: shining light on the microbiome to improve health and well-being

We are looking for one post-doctoral candidate to join our team at Clinatec, Grenoble, France under the supervision of Pr John Mitrofanis. This department tests medical devices for biocompatibility and is involved in the design, development and validation of innovative diagnostic and treatment approaches.

Topic of the study

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition with distinct motor signs. The majority of diseased cells lie deep in the brain, within a structure called the brainstem. Although there are treatments available that address the signs, none stop the disease progression and the cells continue to die relentlessly. Further, there is no treatment that targets disease prevention; there are some suggested lifestyle changes, but nothing specific. Such a specific preventative treatment would be of immense value to the wider community, together with lessening the economic health burden considerably.

In this context, it has been shown recently that the microbiome – made up of colonies of microorganisms lying within the gastrointestinal system (ie the gut) – is critical to the proper function and health of the brain. In Parkinson’s disease patients, the microbiome is abnormal and dysfunctional. In fact, many authors believe that the disease begins in the microbiome and spreads through the peripheral nerves to the brainstem; indeed, in many patients, the first indications are gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation. Hence, it stands to reason that a key target for the prevention of Parkinson’s disease would be the microbiome.

We plan a preclinical study to develop photobiomodulation, the use of red to near infrared light on body tissues, as a preventative treatment for Parkinson’s disease by targeting the microbiome. Our rationale is based on two key recent findings showing that photobiomodulation improves; (1) the function and survival of the diseased cells in the brainstem and (2) the health of the microbiome. We will treat the abdomen of animals with photobiomodulation and examine the patterns of brain pathology, changes in motor behaviour and the health of the microbiome. This preclinical study will provide us with a strong indication of whether photobiomodulation can be effective preventative measure in humans.

In summary, we hope to generate a clear set of preclinical results showing that photobiomodulation treatment of the microbiome can prevent the onset of Parkinson’s disease. We plan to develop a safe, easy-to-use and inexpensive treatment that helps prevent the onset of Parkinson’s disease by improving the microbiome, leading to better health and well-being for individuals across the wider community.

Technical description

The techniques to be used are diverse and the applicant should have extensive experience in using behavioural animal models of disease, routine histology and immunhistochemistry.

Applicant

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (biology or neurosciences) and experience of some years with rodent models of disease and relevant techniques (see above). Good written and verbal English communication skills are required and verbal/written French knowledge would be appreciated. Preference will be given to candidates with an excellent track record of peer-reviewed publications and at least 5 years of post-doctoral experience.

Conditions

The candidate will have the opportunity to have an attractive 3-year post-doc grant.

Contact

Malvina Billères – +33681265418 – malvina.billeres@cea.fr