Postdoctoral Researcher in Personalized Immunotherapies | Postdoc for the Division of Personalized Immunotherapies
Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum
Job Summary
This Postdoctoral position at the Helmholtz Institute HI-TRON in Mainz focuses on advancing personalized cancer immunotherapies, specifically targeting the expansion of precursor/progenitor exhausted CD8⁺ T cells to enhance responsiveness to immune checkpoint inhibitors. The successful candidate will design and execute complex functional and phenotypic assays on human T cells, engineer T cells using cutting-edge mRNA delivery platforms (via lipid nanoparticles), and characterize immune cell subsets using advanced techniques like multiparametric flow cytometry and single-cell omics. The role requires extensive hands-on experience with primary immune cell culture, mouse models for in vivo studies (tumor implantation, treatment, immune profiling), and a strong background in oncoimmunology. This is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated scientist with a PhD in immunology or a related field to contribute to pioneering translational cancer research within a dynamic, multidisciplinary team environment, ultimately aiming to transform scientific discovery into clinical benefits.
Required Skills
Education
Master's degree (M.Sc.) and PhD in immunology, cancer biology, molecular biology, biomedical sciences, or a related discipline; FELASA or equivalent animal experimentation certification
Experience
- Proven expertise in T cell biology, including activation, exhaustion, or immunotherapy
- Hands-on experience with primary immune cell culture and flow cytometry-based phenotyping
- Experience with mouse models, including handling, injections, harvesting tissues, and processing tumor/immune samples
- Experience with mRNA expression systems, gene delivery, or viral/non-viral engineering (Desirable)
Languages
Additional
- Proof of immunity against measles required (due to Infection Protection Act regulations); Position is initially limited to 2 years with possibility of prolongation; Location constraint: Mainz, Germany.
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