PhD Position in Tumor Immunology and Neuro-Oncology

University of Basel; Schweiz; On-site; CHF 47,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Structured PhD program

Access to core facilities

Interdisciplinary environment

Job summary

University of Basel invites applications for a PhD position in tumor immunology and neuro-oncology within the Translational Immuno-Oncology group. The project focuses on understanding and reversing the immunosuppressive microenvironment in glioblastoma, with access to patient-derived tissues and state-of-the-art facilities.

You will work under senior group leaders and collaborate across immunology, oncology and quantitative biology.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in immunology, cancer biology, biomedical or life sciences, molecular medicine, pharmaceutical sciences or related field.
• Hands-on laboratory experience, ideally in cell culture and cellular or molecular immunology.
• Excellent English; German helpful but not required.

Responsibilities

• Culture and maintenance of primary human immune and tumor cells.
• Process and biobank fresh surgical tissue and blood.
• Develop image-based high-throughput screening platforms.
• Characterize tumor and immune responses by flow cytometry and spatial proteomics.
• Analyze imaging, single-cell, spatial and clinical data in R or Python.
• Identify predictive biomarkers and integrate with clinical data.
• Present findings at international conferences and prepare scientific publications.

Skills

Cell culture

Immunology basics

Programming in R

Team collaboration

English proficiency

Education

Master’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Flow cytometry

Single-cell sequencing

Molecular biology techniques

Job description

Organisation/Company University of Basel Department Department of Biomedicine Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 15 Nov 2026 - 12:00 (Europe/Zurich) Country Switzerland Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

We offer a PhD position in tumor immunology and neuro-oncology within the Translational Immuno-Oncology research group (Prof. Dr. Mascha Binder and Dr. Sarah Adamo). The project will be led by Dr. Thiele who is a medical oncologist and clinician-scientist and heads the group’s research program in neuro-oncology. His research focuses on understanding and therapeutically targeting the immunosuppressive microenvironment of glioblastoma, with the aim of translating mechanistic insights into novel treatment strategies.

The broader research of the Translational Immuno-Oncology group combines basic and translational immunology with patient-centered cancer research. Our methods range from antibody and CAR T cell engineering to immune repertoire sequencing, single-cell and spatial profiling, organoid and in vivo models, and we run our own translational clinical studies. Our work sits at the interface of laboratory and oncology clinic, and behind every project stands a concrete goal: improving treatment for patients.

Your position

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive primary brain tumor, and the immunotherapies that changed the outlook in other cancers have so far failed here. A major reason is its microenvironment. Macrophages and microglia make up most of the immune infiltrate, yet the tumor holds them in a suppressed state that shields it from immune attack.

The successful candidate will investigate which signals maintain this immunosuppressive state and how it can be therapeutically reversed. Using tumor tissue donated by patients treated at University Hospital Basel, the project will examine how inhibitory receptors, glycans and phagocytosis shape the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. You will test myeloid-directed immunotherapies, alone and in combination, for their ability to restore phagocytosis, inflammatory signaling and antigen presentation in cellular models, freshly resected tumor tissue and patient-derived models. Spatial profiling will reveal which tissue architectures respond and help identify biomarkers for patient selection. The most promising strategies will be evaluated using brain-penetrant antibody formats and mouse models, with the goal of defining therapeutic combinations, predictive biomarkers and delivery strategies for future clinical trials.

You will join a collaborative, interdisciplinary team with day-to-day methodological support from experienced scientists. Close collaboration with the Hutter Lab in neurosurgery and Läubli Lab in glyco-immunology provides complementary expertise, regular feedback and access to multiple mentors throughout your PhD.

Your main tasks will be:

• Cell culture of primary human immune and tumor cells, co-culture systems, patient-derived organoids and tissue explants.
• Processing and biobanking of fresh surgical tissue and blood.
• Building and running image-based, high-throughput screening platforms: live-cell imaging, phagocytosis and activation assays, and synergy analysis.
• Characterization of tumor and immune responses using multiparameter flow cytometry, multiplex spatial proteomics and single-cell sequencing.
• Antibody engineering: design and characterization of bispecific and brain-penetrant antibody formats on the lab’s antibody platform.
• Testing promising therapeutic strategies in mouse models of glioblastoma; training and licensing are provided.
• Analysis and integration of imaging, single-cell, spatial and clinical data in R or Python with appropriate training provided where needed.
• Identification and development of predictive biomarkers and integration of experimental findings with clinical data.
• Presentation of research findings at international conferences and preparation of scientific publications.
• Master’s degree or equivalent in immunology, cancer biology, biomedical or life sciences, molecular medicine, pharmaceutical sciences or a related field. Medical graduates with a strong interest in laboratory research are equally welcome.
• Hands-on laboratory experience, ideally in cell culture and cellular or molecular immunology. Experience with the other methods used in the project is advantageous but not required.
• Interest in both mechanism and application: you want to understand how myeloid cells are regulated, and you want that knowledge to reach patients.
• Curiosity for methods and data: you like building things and are not afraid of quantitative analysis using programming languages such as R.
• Willingness to work with mouse models.
• Initiative, reliability and the ability to work in a team spanning immunology, oncology and quantitative biology.
• Excellent English. German helps in the clinical environment but is not required.

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Additional Information

• A funded four-year PhD position (100%) with enrollment in a structured PhD program at the University of Basel.
• Broad, hands-on methodological training in a growing lab, alongside other PhD students and experienced scientists.
• Access to the DBM core facilities: live-cell imaging, flow cytometry, DNA and RNA sequencing, spatial proteomics, single-cell genomics, microscopy and animal facilities.
• A highly interdisciplinary environment connecting experimental immunology, neuro-oncology and translational cancer research.
• Close collaboration with basic and clinical research groups at the Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel and external partner institutions.
• Close supervision from day one and growing independence: you start with regular interaction with the project lead and experienced team members, and you finish with a project that is your own.
• Substantial scope for scientific independence and project ownership within a growing translational research program.
• A location that matters after the PhD: Basel is one of Europe’s densest life-science clusters with the University, global pharmaceutical companies and a large biotech scene, and a compact, international city that is easy to live in.