Graduate student / PhD student (all genders) - Neuro-Immuno-Oncology and Cell Therapy

At the Research Institute Children's Cancer Center at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, a position as a graduate student (PhD student) is available in the Neuro-Immuno-Oncology and Cell Therapy group (headed by Dr. M. Mader, https://kinderkrebs-forschung.de/forschung/neuroimmunonkologie-und-zelltherapie/) as of 01.01.2025. In principle, a later start can be an option. Participation in the structured PhD program is possible.

You can expect an exciting project in which we will develop new cell therapeutic approaches for the treatment of pediatric brain tumors, esp. high-grade gliomas. For this purpose, the latest methods for manipulating immune cells of the brain, esp. Microglia, will be utilized.

For this project, professional and individual supervision by the group leader is guaranteed throughout the entire period of the thesis work. In addition, you can expect a motivated and dynamic team of doctors, scientists, bioinformaticians, technical assistants and students at the research institute, who are researching childhood tumors as part of various projects and with different approaches.

This is a parttime position with 65% percent of the regular weekly working hours and is initially limited to three years as part of a third-party funded research project.


Main tasks

• Active support of the group intellectually, organizationally, and experimentally
• Formulating scientific questions based on the current state of the art
• Conceptualizing and executing scientific experiments
• Analyzing and interpreting experimental data
• Communicating, presenting, and publishing scientific findings

• University degree in life sciences (e.g. biology, molecular medicine)
• Strong interest in biomedical research and highest motivation to work on an ambitious project
• Excellent collaborative teamwork with strengths in communication and flexibility
• Practical experience in cell culture and molecular biology
• Interest in research involving animal experiments (mouse models). Previous practical experience preferred
• Programming skills in R preferred
• Advanced knowledge in experimental oncology, immunology, neuroscience, (stem)cell biology, bioinformatics, and / or gene technology desired
• Candidates with similar abilities and experiences are invited to apply as well.

Immunity status
Please note that employment is only possible if there is complete proof of immunization or immunity against the measles virus in accordance with the applicable (legal and medical) requirements. You must provide proof of this by means of appropriate documents (e.g. vaccination certificate) before commencing employment.