PhD position (m/f/d) in experimental leukemia research (Clinical Research Unit CATCH ALL)

PhD position (m/f/d) in experimental leukemia research (Clinical Research Unit CATCH ALL)

DFG-funded Clinical Research Unit: CATCH ALL, Department of Internal Medicine II,

Research group: Functional Genomics of Acute Leukemia (Head: Dr. Lorenz Bastian / Prof. Dr. Claudia Baldus)

Start in our team

We are looking for a committed, inquisitive team player to start as soon as possible in our interdisciplinary research group focused on functional genomics of acute leukemias, limited for 3 years, with the possibility of extension.

The position is available in the established DFG-funded Clinical Research Unit “CATCH-ALL: Towards a Cure for Adults and Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia”. Clinical and basic researchers join efforts in this interdisciplinary initiative to define mechanisms of leukemogenesis and treatment resistance across age groups. The final aim is to devise novel molecular and immunotherapeutic treatment strategies.

In project P4 (“Modeling of oncogenic driver networks in B-ALL - impact of multilineage involvement”), we investigate how leukemia driver fusions can involve multiple hematopoietic lineages (“multilineage involvement”), how this relates to lineage plasticity, and whether it promotes escape from B cell directed immunotherapies. The PhD student will work at the interface of functional genomics and experimental hematology, combining patient-derived material with state-of-the-art single-cell sequencing (RoCK&ROI-Seq), engineered murine leukemia models, and preclinical immunotherapy assays (CD19xCD3 BiTE and CAR-T cells).

What we offer:

Access to state-of-the-art infrastructure for functional genomics and experimental hematology (experimental single-cell sequencing approaches, murine leukemia and immunotherapy models)

Training opportunities in genomic engineering, functional murine models, systems immunology and integrative bioinformatics

The opportunity to work in a highly interdisciplinary, stimulating and supportive environment bridging molecular groundwork to clinicial translation

The salary will be based on the German E13 TV-L scale (65%), if terms and conditions under collective bargaining law are fulfilled

Weitere spannende Benefits des UKSH finden Sie hier: Benefits (uksh.de)

Your tasks:

You will establish and characterize engineered murine leukemia models from preB cells and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), including retroviral gene transfer and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, and validate models using molecular read-outs and flow cytometry

You will support functional genomics workflows, including sample preparation and single-cell library preparation for RoCK&ROI-Seq (BD Rhapsody-based workflows), as well as drug response profiling in high-throughput formats

You will perform in vitro and in vivo assays to study lineage plasticity and therapy escape, including differentiation/co-culture experiments and mouse transplantation/immunotherapy experiments (CD19xCD3 BiTE and CAR-T cells) in close collaboration with partners of the CATCH ALL research unit

Your profile:

We are looking for an enthusiastic doctoral researcher with a degree (M.Sc. or equivalent) in molecular biology, immunology, biomedical sciences or a related life science discipline

Hands-on experience with cell culture and molecular biology methods (e.g., PCR, cloning, transfection) is required, as well as a strong interest to independently acquire an in-depth understanding of the project background and to familiarize with novel methods