Group Leader Position in Cancer Immunobiology

VIB; Vlaams-Brabant; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

VIB Leuven seeks a Group Leader in Cancer Immunobiology to head a translational research program. You will coordinate a collaborative network across VIB, KU Leuven, and external partners, driving innovative omics approaches and animal models to uncover mechanistic insights with clinical relevance.

The role requires leadership, international research experience, and a PhD in a relevant field, with English proficiency as a must. Deadline 15 November.

Qualifications

• PhD in (Bio-)Medical Sciences or related field.
• Proven leadership and ability to build and manage a research program.
• Strong collaboration across groups, departments, and external partners.
• Excellent communication in English; experience with translational research a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead a ground-breaking cancer immunobiology program with translational potential.
• Bridge research groups at VIB and KU Leuven and collaborate with industry and other centers.
• Develop innovative omics-based approaches and in vivo models to gain mechanistic insights.
• Test clinical relevance using human samples and focus on a cancer indication or biological process.

Skills

Leadership

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Program building

English proficiency

International experience

Education

PhD in (Bio-)Medical Sciences or related field

Job description

Group Leader Position in Cancer Immunobiology

VIB

Leuven, Belgium

Research

You will lead a ground-breaking scientific program addressing basic research questions with a pronounced translational potential. You have a collaborative mindset that will allow you to build bridges between existing research groups at VIB and KU Leuven, as well as with other academic centers and the industry. You will focus on novel omics technologies with a research-specific focus on oncology and an unmet patient need.

We are particularly interested in researchers working on the cross-talk between tumors and the innate and adaptive immune system. Ideally, the candidate will develop innovative reductionist (i.e. 3D tumoroid models) approaches and unique in vivo models (i.e. mouse genetics, in vivo lineage tracing, PDXs,…) to gain novel mechanistic insights and directly test the clinical relevance of the findings using human clinical samples.

A dedicated focus on a specific cancer indication and/or underlying biological process (metastatic dissemination, lymph node involvement, circulating tumor cells or specific tumor & micro-environment interactions, etc. is considered a plus.

Your profile

• You have obtained a PhD degree in the field of the (Bio-) Medical Sciences or another field that provides excellent preparation for the requested research program.
• You have a strong research profile within the aforementioned research domains and the quality of your research is proven by publications in international leading journals and conferences.
• You have an interest in outreach and broadly contributing to an exciting scientific environment.
• Interdisciplinary mindset and keen on collaborating broadly in the center, the department, and the university.
• You possess organizational skills and have a collaborative attitude. You also possess leadership capacities.
• You have international research experience.
• The successful candidate must also be selected as assistant professor at the KUL department of Oncology.
• Proficiency in English is required.

Deadline 15 November