Expires on: 04/30/2024
The Clinical Neuroimmunology Laboratory in the Department of Biomedicine, headed by Professor Tobias Derfuss, is planning to open a PhD position in early Summer of 2024 and a second position at the end of 2024 or early 2025. Research in the lab is aimed at understanding the causes and pathomechanisms of autoimmune diseases affecting the nervous system, particularly multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis.
The first position (expected start Summer 2024) is focussed on myasthenia gravis, and will include (i) involvement in a pre-defined international study of patient biosamples with a strong clinical component, and (ii) a somewhat higher risk basic science component looking at the normal physiological role of self-reactive B cells.
The second position (expected start December 2024) will study the interaction between brain-resident B cells and the surrounding brain tissue, mostly in experimental animal models. Experimental methods for both positions include molecular and cell biology, flow cytometry, histology and microscopy, protein methods, and bioinformatics.
Profile
We are looking for people who enjoy working in the lab, and with whom other people also enjoy working together. Basic research requires thought, patience, attention to detail, the commitment of large amounts of time and energy, and the ability to tolerate frustration. You need to be able to work independently, and also to work in a highly integrated way as part of a team, sometimes under circumstances that may seem like they benefit the team while the immediate benefit to you may not be clear. Particularly the first position would be very suitable for someone who would like to complete PhD in addition to their medical studies (MD-PhD).