Postdoctoral Researcher (Precision immuno-oncology) (ref. BAP-2025-70)

This is a unique position for a highly motivated and ambitious candidate, available at the Laboratory of Cell Stress & Immunity (CSI) in KU Leuven, for a research project focussed on creating next-generation of precision immunotherapy against metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).

The CSI Laboratory is headed by Prof. Abhishek D. Garg and focusses on using novel reverse translational approaches powered by multi-omics and spatial mapping to solve cancer immunology & immunotherapy mysteries. Ultimately, the CSI lab aims to specialize in creating next-generation cancer immunotherapies to hasten progress in immuno-oncology and help improve therapeutic outlook for cancer patients, in close collaboration with leading researchers, immunologists, and oncologists, in Belgium and abroad. The CSI lab focusses on following (specific) research themes: cancer immunology & immunotherapy, immunology of cancer cell death, cross-species reverse translational immunology, stress or therapy-elicited immune-signaling pathways, immune cell biology, systems medicine, artificial intelligence (AI)-based immunology and biomarkers for clinical immuno-oncology.

CSI Lab regularly publishes in high-impact journals (e.g., Nature Medicine, Nature Rev Immunol, Science Advances, Science Transl Medicine), and has successfully pursued ground-breaking research that has led to high-impact valorisation (e.g., patents, initiation of early phase clinical trials and creation of spin-off company trajectories).

This project aims to utilize novel insights recently gained on targeting immuno-resistant CRC in the CSI lab and convert these into tangible precision immunotherapies for treating metastatic CRC with a clear mechanism-of-action and a tangible route toward future clinical translation. The project will integrate advanced immuno-oncology, multi-omics workflows, and translational immunotherapy. With this project we ambitiously aim to go significantly beyond the current state-of-the-art, by creating innovative immunotherapies that would be eventually ready-to-use in a clinic.

Website van de eenheid

Functie

• Performing high-quality experiments dealing with ex vivo immune cell biology, immune activation mechanisms, flow cytometry-based immunophenotyping, and in vivo tumor immunology & immunotherapy.
• Delivering presentations (oral or poster) in collaboration meetings, consortium/institutional seminars, and national/international symposiums or conferences.
• Eager to carry out visitations (if required) to other laboratories (within Belgium or abroad) for learning new techniques.
• Eager to co-supervise the thesis projects of PhD students, as well as collaborate with postdoctoral scientists and lab tech.

Profiel

• You must hold a PhD degree in life sciences, medicine, biotechnology, biosciences, biomedicine, or equivalent related fields from a recognized university.
• You must have demonstrated following skills: cell culture, basic animal handling, basic in vitro experiments, immunology or immuno-oncology analyses, basic laboratory skills, basic data analyses & statistics.
• You must have solid knowledge of immunology, oncology, and/or cancer biology.
• Practical knowledge and skills in mouse surgical procedures would be a plus.
• You should be a team player with good oral and written (English) communication skills.
• A proven and successful publication track record in this field.
• High intrinsic motivation and a strong scientific curiosity.
• Ability to be inventive and to present novel ideas in method development and interpretation.
• Experience in working with deadlines and being involved in multiple projects.

Aanbod

• A full-time contract for one year with the possibility to extend (at least) 3 more years thereafter. You are stimulated to apply for personal postdoctoral fellowship.
• Opportunity to work on projects that have real-world applications for cancer patients thereby being attractive for biotech/pharma industries, and oncologists at hospitals.
• Bright possibilities for crosstalk with industrial partners and clinicians to chart translation and valorisation of immunotherapy.
• Access to state-of-the-art infrastructures and active collaborations with well-known Belgian or international laboratories.
• A stimulating, international research environment in a world-class academic laboratory and the opportunity to interact with several highly collaborative and world-class investigators.
• The ability to work on scientifically exceptional and high impact, state-of-the-art projects.
• The KU Leuven is one of the most innovative universities in Europe. Leuven is located 20 min. from Brussels, in the center of Europe.

https://gbiomed.kuleuven.be/en...

Interesse?

For more information please contact prof. dr. Abhishek Garg, tel.: +32 16 37 93 40, mail: abhishek.garg@kuleuven.be. Official application should be entered via the above KU Leuven application portal.

Solliciteren voor deze vacature kan tot en met 15/04/2025 via onze online sollicitatietoepassing

KU Leuven wil een inclusieve, respectvolle en sociaal veilige gemeenschap zijn. Wij omarmen diversiteit tussen individuen en groepen als een meerwaarde. Open dialoog en verschillen in perspectief zijn noodzakelijk in een ambitieuze onderzoeks- en onderwijsomgeving. In ons streven naar gelijke kansen erkennen wij de gevolgen van historische ongelijkheden. Wij aanvaarden geen enkele vorm van discriminatie op basis van, onder meer, geslacht, genderidentiteit en -expressie, seksuele oriëntatie, leeftijd, etnische of nationale afkomst, huidskleur, levensbeschouwelijke overtuiging, neurodivergentie, arbeidshandicap, gezondheid, of socio-economische status.