February 2024 NEWSLETTER

RECENTLY FUNDED HIRN GRANTS

Join us in welcoming the following recently funded grants into the newly formed HIRN Pancreas Knowledgebase Program (PanKbase) per NIH RFA-22-018. 

• An Interactive Resource to Generate and Provide Integrated Knowledge lllof the Human Pancreas (U24 DK138512)

IIIKyle Gaulton, PhD, University of California, San Diego

IIIJason Flannick, PhD, The Broad Institute, Inc.

IIINoel Burtt, The Broad Institute, Inc.

IIIAnna Gloyn, PhD, Stanford University

IIIBenjamin Voight, PhD, University of Pennsylvania

• PanKbase: A Community Hub for Integrated Pancreas Knowledge

III(U24 DK138515)

IIIStephen Parker, PhD, University of Michigan

IIIJie Liu, PhD, University of Michigan

IIIShuibing Chen, PhD, Weill Cornell Medical College

IIIMichael Stitzel, PhD, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine

IIIJean-Philippe Cartailler, PhD, Vanderbilt University

IIIMarcela Brissova, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

IIIDiane Saunders, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

TIPS FOR THE NIH DATA SHARING MANDATE

Reoccurring Series

Tip #7: Research Tools

The NIH mandate comes with the expectation for funding recipients to appropriately disseminate and access research tools developed with NIH funding. In general, NIH considers research tools to be unique research resources that encompass a full range of tools which scientists use in the laboratory, such as: cell lines, monoclonal antibodies, reagents, animal models, growth factors, combinatorial chemistry and DNA libraries, clones and cloning tools, and laboratory equipment and machines. The NIH highlights the importance of sharing research tools as an important means for enhancing the value of NIH-sponsored research. At the same time, NIH recognizes the rights of funding recipients and contractors to elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with federal funding. Therefore, the NIH has published a set of principles and guidelines known as the NIH Research Tools Policy, intended to serve as a reference for identifying an appropriate strategy for disseminating and sharing research tools. 

Click HERE for the detailed report addressing the principles for disseminating research tools within the NIH mandate.

NIH COMMON FUND STRATEGIC PLANNING

We are happy to announce that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Council of Councils approved the Complement-ARIE Concept to become a Common Fund Program on January 25, 2024.



The NIH Common Fund’s Complement-ARIE program will speed the development, standardization, validation, and use of human-based New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to significantly advance the understanding of human health and disease.

Complement-ARIE will bring together multiple areas of expertise through a consortium of researchers participating in the following efforts:

• Technology development projects/centers that will develop NAMs to fill in areas of greatest need. Projects will emphasize biological complexity, high throughput techniques, combining approaches, and data sharing.
• A data & NAM resource coordinating center that will create integrated data structures and a searchable NAMs repository.
• A validation network that will accelerate deployment and regulatory approval of NAMs for biomedical research.
• Community engagement and training that will promote the development of an inclusive, diverse, biomedical research workforce with the skills to build and use new NAMs.
• Strategic engagement with key partners that will advance emerging opportunities in development and use of NAMs in basic, translational, and clinical research.

To learn more about the Complement-ARIE program, click HERE.

UPCOMING dkNET WEBINAR

The next dkNET Webinar "The Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC)" will be held on Friday, March 8, 2024, 11 am - 12 pm PT.

Presenter: Malene Lindholm, PhD, Stanford University



To register click HERE.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

The NIH-CZI Junior Investigators Atlas Builders Meeting will be held March 17-19, 2024 at 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD and virtually. The deadline to register is February 9, 2024.

This 2-day meeting will bring together biologists, physician scientists, computational biologists, and other computational experts in the early stages of their careers. For more information click HERE.

The European Islet Study Group (EISG) meeting has been organized almost every year since 1991. After the 2023 meeting in Vancouver, the EISG will return to Europe when the meeting will be held in Helsinki, Finland, June 18-20, 2024. The meeting program will highlight important scientific developments of all aspects of pancreatic islet biology. For more information click HERE.

THE SUGAR SCIENCE: WEEK IN REVIEW (WiR)

WiR (Week in Review) is a digital newsletter that informs scientists/clinicians interested in Type 1 diabetes of key papers, events, jobs, grants, business news, and talks in the field every Friday distributed by thesugarscience. Click HERE to view or sign up to receive the WiR.

NIH FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

RFA-DK-23-004: Human Islet Research Network - Consortium on Modeling Autoimmune Diabetes (HIRN-CMAD) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

• Application due date: March 20, 2024
• Foreign applications are not eligible

NOT-DK-24-001: Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Cardiovascular Repository – Type 1 Diabetes (CARE-T1D) Consortium (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

• Application due date: April 11, 2024

PAR-23-237: Enhancement and Management of Established Biomedical Data Repositories and Knowledgebases (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

• Application due date: Standard Dates

Below is a summary of the most recent job postings by category (Faculty, Research Staff/Admin, Postdoc). Visit the HIRN Website for a full listing of job opportunities.

LEADERSHIP/FACULTY

Assistant/Associate Professor

The Division of Gastroenterology in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University seeks an immunologist in pancreatic disorders to join the Division as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor in the University Tenure Line, University Medical Line, or the Non-Tenure Line (Research). The successful applicant should have experience in leading projects that characterize the immune landscape, using high end immune profiling, of either pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, diabetes, pancreatic insufficiency, or pancreas development and has a vision to partner with physicians and scientists at Stanford to make breakthroughs in focused areas in this space. Applicants for the position should send a CV and a brief letter to include an optional diversity statement HERE.

RESEARCH STAFF/ADMIN

Senior Research Investigator

Senior Investigator will lead ongoing research projects and the staff of NIH-sponsored beta-cell biology projects. Ensure the successful execution of ongoing studies, analyze the scientific results to prepare presentations and write manuscripts based on those results. Supervise existing laboratory staff, including facilitation, documentation, analysis and communication needed for ongoing laboratory work on behalf of the Principal Investigator.  For more information, please click HERE.

The Université Libre de Bruxelles center for Diabetes is searching for a motivated PhD student to join a fully funded 4-year project. The loss of functional beta cell mass is the basic mechanism leading to diabetes mellitus. The ULB Center for Diabetes Research has discovered surface biomarkers specific for human beta cells and will use them to target novel therapies to protect and/or restore beta cells in diabetes. Targeting will be achieved by using novel viral vectors coupled to nanobodies directed to these surface biomarkers. These novel vectors will be validated in in vitro and in vivo (humanized mice) models. Interested applicants for the position should send a CV, a brief statement of their research interests, and contact information with three references to Dr. Decio Eizirik. 

Postdoctoral Position

Multiple Academia Postdoctoral positions for dry (computational), wet (experimental), or hybrid biologists are available in the lab of Dr. Golnaz Vahedi at the University of Pennsylvania. The Vahedi lab is multidisciplinary, integrating cutting-edge experimental and computational approaches to develop a mechanistic understanding of cell fate determination in the immune system. Interested applicants should submit a CV to Dr. Golnaz Vahedi.

Postdoctoral Position

The Imperial College London, under the direction of Dr. Dominguez-Villar is recruiting a passionate and self-motivated postdoctoral research associate with expertise in the identification and characterization of antigen-specific T cells in humans.  The research programme led by Dr. Dominguez-Villar focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that maintain peripheral tolerance, with a particular focus on human regulatory T cell identity and plasticity and the regulation of CD4⁺ T cell responses in autoimmune and infectious disease settings. Interested Applicants for the position should send a CV, a brief statement of their research interests, and contact information with three references to Dr. Margarita Dominguez-Villar.

Postdoctoral Position

The Stitzel Lab at The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, CT is recruiting a Postdoctoral Associate to join their scientific team working to understand the precise genetic mechanisms controlling pancreatic islet identity and function and identify genes and response pathways that can be therapeutically targeted to prevent islet dysfunction and enhance islet resilience. Interested applicants for the position should send a CV, a brief statement of their research interests, and contact information with three references to Miriam Ortiz. 

Postdoctoral Position

The Arvan laboratory (University of Michigan) has availability for one postdoctoral trainee in the area of pancreatic beta cell biology of the secretory pathway. The primary focus of work in the Arvan lab centers around the genes and environmental factors controlling the biogenesis and storage of insulin secretory granules, and defects in such genes/factors that contribute to the development of beta cell failure in diabetes. It is expected that the successful postdoctoral candidate for this position would have recent PhD training in cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, or related field. For more information, contact Dr. Peter Arvan, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Dr. Arvan.

Postdoctoral Position

The University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) at Houston, are seeking candidates who are highly motivated, detail-oriented, collaborative, and have excellent writing and verbal communication skills to join our research team. Individuals with experience in animal physiology, molecular biology, and cell biology are desired. The ideal candidates should be skilled in handling animals, mouse genetics, microscopy, and basic cell culture methods. Additional experience in transcriptomics, metabolomics, or bioinformatics is desired, but not required. To apply, please email your CV, a cover letter stating research experience and goals, along with three references to Dr. Cox.

Postdoctoral Position

The University of California, Los Angeles is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral associate interested in the interface of diabetes research and molecular imaging. This highly translatable research seeks to leverage the non-destructive, whole-body, and quantitative power of molecular imaging to directly visualize host immune-mediated rejection of allogenic β-islet grafts. The candidate is expected to lead this research initiative and deliver on research milestones described in the collaborative research initiative funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF). Candidates with experience in diabetes research interested in engaging in innovative molecular imaging or molecular imaging scientists excited to engage in research on the intersection of immunology and diabetes are strongly encouraged to apply. Interested candidates should provide a CV, cover letter, three references, and a summary of research experience to Dr. Ikotun. 

Postdoctoral Position

The Ferreira laboratory at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston, SC is seeking highly motivated and creative postdoctoral fellows interested in designing and developing engineered conventional and regulatory T cell therapies for autoimmune disease and cancer. Our research program is diverse, combining T cell biology, synthetic biology, and genome engineering approaches to study autoimmunity and cancer in immunocompetent and humanized mouse models of disease. Selected candidates will work in a collaborative and interdisciplinary team and will be encouraged to develop their own research interests. Candidates must have a PhD in biology, immunology, or a related field. Applicants for the position should send a CV, a brief statement of their research interests, and contact information for three references to Dr. Leonardo Ferreira.