PhD position (f/m/x) in HCMV antibody response – Institute of Virology – Laboratory of Experimental (KHS-36910)

Your tasks

• Conduct in-depth analysis of humoral immune responses against Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV).
• Isolate human antibodies targeting various HCMV surface proteins.
• Modify HCMV and HCMV-specific antibodies to explore neutralization and infection mechanisms.
• Investigate new therapeutic approaches against HCMV.
• Correspondence with national and international cooperation partners.

Your Profile

• A master's degree in biology, biomedicine, immunology, or a related field.
• Highly motivated and self-organized with a strong interest in immunology and virology.
• Experience in cell culture and molecular biology techniques is advantageous.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and solve problems
• Execution of experiments in a highly detail-oriented and reliable manner
• Communicative and cooperative in working with interdisciplinary research teams

Our Offer

• A highly committed research group with an interdisciplinary team of scientists.
• Diverse, challenging, and relevant work in an interesting, dynamic, and high-quality research environment.
• Full access to state-of-the-art technology platforms and facilities to carry out cutting edge translational research.
• National and international collaborations, both academic and with industry.
• Personal development within the group and through further training.
• A supportive and friendly work atmosphere.

Your future with us

Working at the University Hospital Cologne and the Medical Faculty means helping to shape the future - the future of medicine, of patients and, of course, your own future. You benefit from 60 clinics and institutes as well as numerous other departments and facilities and more than 12,000 jobs. The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Cologne and the University Hospital Cologne assume important social tasks in research, teaching and patient care. A close network with many university and non-university partners guarantees an internationally successful science and the excellent education of our students.

Your future in detail

We are a highly dedicated, translational, and internationally well-connected research group focused on the fundamentals of the human immune response to infectious agents and their translation into clinical practice (e.g. Zehner et al. Immunity 2023, Kreer and Zehner et al. Cell 2020, Ehrhardt and Zehner et al 2019 Nat.Med.). The insights we gain will serve to develop novel approaches for the prevention and treatment of infections.

Our team is passionate about understanding the antibody response to HCMV?a widespread virus that poses a serious health risk, particularly to immunocompromised individuals and newborns. We aim to elucidate the molecular interactions between HCMV and its host and to uncover how the virus evades the immune system. We place special emphasis on isolating and characterizing antibodies against HCMV and studying their significance in protecting healthy individuals (Zehner et al. Immunity 2023).

In our projects, we primarily work with human samples and employ a wide range of molecular biological methods. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and interdisciplinary collaboration, we strive to develop innovative therapeutic approaches. Promising antibodies can then serve as a basis for subsequent clinical studies. Your contribution to our group's highly relevant research outcomes will significantly advance the development of new strategies for the prevention and treatment of HCMV and infectious diseases in general.

Contact:Dr. Matthias Zehner
+49 221 478-15124 / matthias.zehner@uk-koeln.de

Application deadline: 10.11.2024

Postal address:Universitätsklinikum Köln AöR
PA11
Geschäftsbereich Personal
50937 Köln