PhD Position bei Uniklinik RWTH Aachen

As a tertiary and quaternary level provider of medical care, the University Hospital of RWTH Aachen combines patient-oriented medicine and care, teaching and research at an international level. The entire spectrum of medical care is provided through 36 specialist departments, 33 institutes and six interdisciplinary units. The co-location of patient care, research and teaching in a central building offers the best conditions for intensive interdisciplinary exchange and close clinical and scientific networking. Highly qualified teams of doctors, nurses and scientists work collaboratively to optimise the healthcare provision of our local, regional, national and international patients. Around 9,000 employees ensure that our care delivery is patient-oriented medicine and surpasses the highest quality standards. With 1,400 beds, the university hospital treats around 50,000 inpatient and 200,000 outpatient cases per year.

The Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging invites applications of highly motivated individuals for a

PhD Position (f/m/d) "Metal Prodrugs and Nanomedicines for Cancer Immunotherapy"

The half-time position (19,25 hours/week) starts at 1st January 2024 and is initially limited to 3 years. The successful applicants will be encouraged to work towards a doctoral degree.

The goal of the project is to develop novel (nano-)materials to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, with a strong focus on immunotherapy.

Concretely, we aim at rationally combining metals, prodrug chemistry and nanomedicine to potentiate cancer immunotherapy efficacy. Metal ions play crucial roles in multiple protein functions and biochemical processes, including quite prominently in the regulation of the immune response. The high diversity of metals, and their unique properties and reactivities, make metal compounds promising tools for various diagnostic and therapeutic applications, and their intrinsic immunomodulating properties have recently demonstrated high potential for cancer treatment.

Host group and institution:

The applicant will join a dynamic, active, highly international and highly interdisciplinary group (Department of Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, www.exmi.rwth-aachen.de), which is located at the Center for Biohybrid Medical Systems (CBMS) in Aachen, Germany; and will perform high-end research with a clear translational perspective.[1–4] Our core expertise is at the interface of tumor biology, chemical and pharmaceutical engineering, imaging and translational (nano)medicine.

The PhD research project will be focused on the development and biological evaluation of immunomodulating metal-based (pro)drugs and nanomaterials for cancer combination immunotherapy.

References:

Your profile

Relevant fields of study include chemistry, materials science, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, biology, biochemistry, medicine, pharmacy and related. Ideal candidates are expected to exhibit good communication skills in English oral and written (Level C1), and to be highly motivated, internationally oriented, and able to work independently and in a team.

Why should you choose us?

• PhD candidates can profit from multiple workshops and career development courses offered by the RWTH Aachen University
• Financial support to attend national and international conferences will be also provided.
• 300 professions under one roof - more variety is not possible
• We offer performance-based remuneration in accordance with the provisions of TV-L (EG 13), including attractive public service benefits
• In addition to a wide range of further education and training opportunities we offer a wide range of health promotion options as well as the extensive university sports program
• Monthly employee discounts through our corporate benefits program to save on private shoppin