• Establish models of impaired antigen processing and presentation in HNSCC to dissect underlying HPV-related and unrelated mechanisms
• Investigate the therapeutic potential of pharmacological reversal of impaired antigen presentation in HNSCC
• Development of a “living biobank” from patient-derived samples for translational analyses
• Performance of all well-established immune assays in our laboratory (e.g. FluoroSpot, FACS, mixed-lymphocyte reactions, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, RNA and DNA analysis, TCR sequencing)

• Excellent MSc degree in Biology, Biotechnology, or a related field
• Strong interest in translational research in immuno-oncology
• Expertise in at least one of the following fields: cell culture, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, bioinformatics or flow cytometry
• High motivation, independence and strong communication skills
• Willingness to perform mouse experiments is beneficial but not obligatory

• We offer an excellent technical infrastructure and clinical collaborations to work with real-world healthcare data.
• We promote your professional career development with the opportunity to take part in projects in national as well as European-wide academic, research and industry consortia.
• Our institute promotes diversity and offers a family-friendly and modern working environment.
• Flexible working hours and home office are possible.

We are one of the largest and oldest universities in Europe and one of the most important employers in our region. Our broad range of subjects, the dynamic development of our main research areas and our central location in Cologne make us attractive to students and researchers from around the world. We offer a wide range of career opportunities in science, technology, and administration. The Schlößer group at the Center for Molecular Medicine investigates translationally relevant mechanisms of immune evasion in solid cancers. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous group of cancers arising from the mucosal epithelium of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx driven by the accumulation of somatic mutations or human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The specific research project focuses on the role of impaired antigen presentation in primary resistance to immunotherapy in HNSCC.