As part of the German Lung Research Center (DZL), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Pediatric Pneumology & Allergology Section at UKSH Lübeck recruits children and adolescents with asthma and non-asthmatic controls. Our goal is to develop precision medicine for asthma through detailed clinical and molecular characterization. In the DFG project ARMADA (545525634), we will investigate, together with the group of Prof. Berger (Bordeaux, France), how exposures like viral infections and microbial colonization influence asthma pathogenesis. Understanding the exposome's impact on innate immune reprogramming (trained immunity via epigenetic modifications) is key towards our aim of developing novel precision medicine targets and strategies.
The PhD project is an exciting opportunity to investigate the mechanisms driving asthma development and persistence. This project will begin to unravel the dynamic interplay between the exposome (microbiome and respiratory viruses) and the cellular epigenetic landscape.
By investigating the epigenetic-transcriptomic profile of nasal and bronchial epithelial cells from severe asthma patients in cohorts like VIRCHILLD (France) and ALLIANCE (Germany), this project aims to uncover critical pathways linking environmental exposures to patient outcomes. Through cutting-edge techniques such as RNA interference (RNAi), DNA methylation (DNAme) and ATAC-Seq analysis, this project seeks to identify and target key epigenetic /molecular drivers of asthma.
We are looking for a professional and competent PhD Student to start as soon as possible, limited for a 3-year position.
What we offer:
* The salary will be based on the German E 13 TV-L scale, if terms and conditions under collective bargaining law are fulfilled
* Part-time employment, currently 25 hours / week (65%)
* An enthusiastic, innovative and professional team environment
* You can find more exciting benefits at the UKSH here: Benefits
What to expect:
* Includes an intersectoral-international exchange between Germany (Weckmann Lab, Lübeck, Germany for 2 years) and France (Berger Lab, Bordeaux, France for 1 year).
* Professional development opportunities e.g. attending / presenting at local and international conferences.
* Guided development of translational scientific communication between clinical and basic researchers.
* Development of advanced tissue culture techniques (primary human cells, viral models, air-liquid interface) with an application towards clinical translation.
* Training in bioinformatic analysis using R software (such as DNA methylation and gene expression datasets)
Your profile:
* Completed studies in Natural / Life sciences (M.Sc.) and a strong enthusiasm for the progression of scientific knowledge related to basic biological principles
* Experience in conducting wet-lab experiments (required)
* Training and experience in computational biology highly desired
* Track record in research projects on the biology of the lung or lung diseases and Experience with single-cell RNA-seq data integration and analysis are preferred
* Fluent in spoken and written English (French would be desirable)
We are looking forward to your application. Please submit your application until 26.02.2025, indicating the reference number 25861.