The Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) investigates the pathobiology of human-pathogenic fungi and identifies targets for the development of novel natural product-based antibiotics. The department Infection Immunology invites talented and highly motivated candidates to apply as

Doctoral Researcher (m/f/div) in T-Cell Immunology

for three years initially (salary according to TV-L) with the possibility for extension until completion of the PhD project.

The Department of Infection Immunology addresses fundamental questions about the mechanistic basis of the human immunological memory. We investigate T-cell communication with the local tissue microenvironment in settings of infections, autoimmunity and cancer. Our research has unraveled several novel T-cell functions and immunomodulatory factors (de Almeida et al. Sci Immunol 2022, Chao et al. Nat Immunol 2023, Soll et. al Nat Immunol 2024). We use novel cutting-edge technologies in the area of high-dimensional single-cell analysis (scRNAseq, spectral flow cytometry) to translate fundamental insights into translational applications for human health and disease. We are seeking highly motivated candidates that are interested to investigate the regulation of human tissue resident T-cells and their crosstalk with the microenvironment in settings of solid organ transplantation, infections or cancer within our ERC-funded project.

Candidate´s profile:

• Master’s degree in Life Sciences, in Computational Biology or MD degree

• Previous research experience in immunology

• Experience in flow cytometry, cell culture and in high-dimensional single-cell data analysis and programming skills are a plus

• Organizational skills and meticulous experimentation practices

• Great enthusiasm for translational science with human tissues

• Ability to perform team-oriented as well as independent work

• Very good communication and writing skills are necessary

We offer:

• A modern workplace in a brand-new building, with top equipment (Cytek Aurora Spectral Analyzer and Sorter, single-cell mRNA-sequencing etc.)

• A cutting-edge highly funded research project in immunology (ERC-CoG funded lab)

• A highly dynamic international young team in a thriving research environment in a Leibniz Institute with many large collaborative projects such as the Cluster of Excellence “Balance of the Microverse” and the Leibniz Center for Photonics in Infection Research

• Participation in structured mentoring programs

• Participation at international conferences

The successful candidate will be hosted in the department of Infection Immunology headed by Prof. Christina Zielinski. We offer a multifaceted scientific project funded by the prestigious ERC CoG with excellent technical facilities, a place in a dynamic, committed team, as well as strong local, national and international scientific collaborations.

The Leibniz-HKI is embedded in the outstanding scientific environment of the Beutenberg Campus, providing state-of-the-art research facilities and a highly integrative network of life science groups.
Salary is paid according to German TV-L

For further information: 

Applications:

Leibniz-HKI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It aims to increase the proportion of underrepresented groups in case of equal suitability. All qualified persons, regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other classification protected by law will receive consideration for employment.

Complete applications in English should include a cover letter, a CV including a statement of research experiences, the addresses of two possible referees, and should be submitted via the Leibniz-HKI online application system. The deadline for the advertisement is 15. March, 2025, but applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.