PhD position (m/f/d) on immune reset through CAR T in chronic inflammatory diseases in Erlangen, Deutschland

State-of-the-art medicine and nursing care you can rely on! - Since being founded in 1815, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen has offered medicine of the highest standard and incorporated the latest insights from medical research and state-of-the-art equipment into diagnosis and therapy. More than 10.000 employees from approximately 50 different occupations are needed to provide the wide range of services offered by Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, ensuring our patients receive the very best care around the clock.

As a PhD student, you will investigate how human immune-cell networks shape tissue inflammation, regeneration and response to cellular therapies. The project will focus primarily on the human immune system and combine patient-derived material with experimental models to address mechanistic questions in cellular immunology.

Your tasks:

• Characterizing human immune-cell populations and their functional states using multiparameter flow cytometry and high-dimensional immune phenotyping.
• Investigating cellular interactions and immune networks by integrating phenotypic, functional and molecular data from immune cells and tissues.
• Studying immune responses to cellular therapies, including the mechanisms underlying immune depletion, reconstitution and tissue regeneration following CD19 CAR-T-cell therapy.
• Generating and analyzing molecular data using approaches such as bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing and other transcriptomic or spatial technologies.
• Establishing and applying experimental models to investigate mechanisms identified in human samples, including selected mouse models of intestinal inflammation, immune reconstitution and tissue regeneration after CD19 CAR-T-cell therapy.
• Developing and combining experimental and analytical approaches ranging from established methods such as ELISA, Western blotting and flow cytometry to advanced multidimensional cytometry, UMAP-based analysis and transcriptomic approaches.
• The project offers substantial scope to develop an individual scientific profile. Previous experience with these techniques is welcome, but curiosity, scientific independence, willingness to learn, and enthusiasm for understanding how immune cells interact in human disease are similarly important.

Essential experience/ qualifications:

• Above the average motivation and work ethics
• Strong theoretical and practical background in standard methods of molecular and cellular biology as well as cellular immunology
• English writing and speaking skills
• Ability to work together in a multi-national team that is supportive of one another
• A master degree (M.Sc.) in immunology, biology, molecular biology, molecular medicine or equivalent

additional advantages:

• Experience in omics data science
• Hands-on experience in human immunology

We offer:

• The position is full-time and will be payed according to salary group TVL-E 13, 65% (DFG-typical rate)
• Intended pay grade depending on qualifications and personal requierements
• Initially, the position is limited for one year, with the possibility of an extension till the degreee is achieved
• The head of the department guaranties in writing that there is funding till the degree is achieved.
• Hiring process opened and will be completed asap.
• An enthusiastic, interdisciplinary team of scientists and doctors
• High end translational research
• State-of-the-art laboratories
• Two-Stepp mentoring with a hands-on mentor (post-doc) plus the PI as supervisor with high frequent project discussions for efficient development
• Structured program for hard- and soft-skills in research (paper and grant writing classes, paper clubs, soft-skill training)
• Notes for applicants (f/m/d) ( )
• Comprehensive health promotion offers
• All benefits of the public service incl. supplementary pension plan of the Versorgungsanstalt des Bundes und der Länder (VBL) (Federal and State Government Employees' Retierment Fund)
• Family-friendly enviroment

Further information:

Prof. Dr. med. habil. Fabian Müller
Medizinische Klinik 5
Phone: 09131 - 85 43107

Applications:

Universitätsklinikum Erlangen
Medizinische Klinik 5 -
Hämatologie & Internistische Onkologie
PD Dr. med. habil. Fabian Müller
Ulmenweg 18
91054 Erlangen