Postdoctoral Position (100%) in Leukemia Immunology and Metabolism

Academic Positions; Schweiz; On-site; CHF 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

State-of-the-art facilities

International collaboration

Mentorship programs

Job summary

Join the Blood Cancer Biology and Immunotherapy group at the University of Basel, a joint venture with University Hospitals Basel. We seek a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher (100%) to study how cellular metabolism shapes leukemia persistence, immune evasion, and anti-leukemia immunity within ERC LIFE project LIFE - Targeting bioactive lipids to overcome leukemia immune evasion and improve stem cell transplantation outcomes.

Start date is 1 February 2027 or upon agreement.

Qualifications

• PhD (or equivalent) in cancer biology, immunology, molecular biology, hematology, or a related discipline.
• Strong conceptual and experimental background in tumor biology and/or immunology.
• Substantial hands-on experience with in vivo mouse tumor models, ideally in hematological cancers.
• Extensive experience with (spectral) flow cytometry and molecular biology.

Responsibilities

• Design, perform, and interpret mechanistic experiments, including in vivo animal studies.
• Establishing and adapting experimental approaches as required.
• Analyzing and presenting scientific data.
• Mentoring PhD and MSc students.
• Contributing to manuscripts, scientific meetings, and grant applications.

Skills

English communication

Team collaboration

Scientific curiosity

Education

PhD in cancer biology/immunology

Tools

Spectral flow cytometry

In vivo mouse tumor models

CRISPR screens

Molecular biology techniques

Job description

Organisation/Company University of Basel Research Field Biological sciences » Other Chemistry » Biochemistry Medical sciences » Other Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 27 Nov 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Country Switzerland Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - ERC Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

As a joint venture of the University of Basel and the University Hospitals Basel, the Department of Biomedicine (DBM) brings together basic and clinical scientists to advance the understanding of health and disease.

We are home to more than 67 research groups and over 800 employees across six locations in the heart of Basel. Our collaborative and international environment foster innovation, excellence, and impactful research.

The Blood Cancer Biology and Immunotherapy group, led by Prof. Petya Apostolova ( www.apostolovalab.com ), is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher (100%) to investigate how cellular metabolism shapes leukemia persistence, immune evasion, and anti-leukemia immunity. This position is funded within our recent European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project LIFE - Targeting bioactive lipids to overcome leukemia immune evasion and improve allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation outcomes.

Start date: 1. February 2027 or upon agreement

Duration: 1 year, with possibility of extension and long-term perspective

Join our community and help shape the future of biomedicine.

Research environment

The Apostolova Lab is based at the Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, in a highly interactive environment spanning cancer biology, immunology, genomics, metabolism, and translational medicine. Our group combines mechanistic leukemia models with metabolism, immunology, and multi-omics to understand how leukemia cells adapt to therapeutic pressure and interact with the immune system.

The successful candidate will have access to state-of-the-art infrastructure for flow cytometry, animal experimentation, advanced microscopy, single-cell and spatial technologies, mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and lipidomics, and computational biology, together with extensive opportunities for local and international collaboration. Mentorship and respect for human values, including diversity, equity, and inclusiveness, are driving forces of our group.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Designing, performing, and interpreting mechanistic experiments, including in vivo animal studies
• Establishing and adapting experimental approaches as required
• Analyzing and presenting scientific data
• Mentoring PhD and MSc students
• Contributing to manuscripts, scientific meetings, and grant applications

Experimental approaches in our group include in vivo leukemia and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation models, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics and lipidomics, functional genomics and CRISPR screens, spectral flow cytometry, cell sorting, bulk, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, and functional immune and metabolic assays. We are looking for an experimental scientist with strong intellectual curiosity, knowledge and practical expertise in tumor immnology, and an interest in mechanistic cancer research. Applicants should have:

• A PhD (or equivalent degree) in cancer biology, immunology, molecular biology, hematology, or a related discipline
• A strong conceptual and experimental background in tumor biology and/or immunology
• Substantial hands-on experience with in vivo mouse tumor models, ideally in hematological cancers, and willingness to perform animal experiments
• Extensive experience with (spectral) flow cytometry and molecular biology
• A strong experimental track record, ideally including a high-quality first-author publication
• The ability to independently design, execute, and interpret mechanistic experiments
• Excellent communication skills (in English) and the ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team

Experience in leukemia research, tumor immunology, metabolism, CRISPR screening, or histology is an advantage but not required. We are particularly interested in candidates who want to take intellectual ownership of an ambitious project, pursue mechanistic questions, and develop their own scientific profile at the interface of tumor immunology and metabolism.

• The possibility to perform cutting-edge research in leukemia immunology and metabolism
• A stimulating, interdisciplinary research environment with state-of-the-art technologies
• A dynamic and international team with a strong culture of collaboration and mutual support
• Close interaction with neighboring labs in hematology, cancer immunology, oncology, and metabolism
• Strong scientific mentorship and career-development support
• Intellectual freedom to develop and pursue scientific ideas
• An excellent academic environment at the University of Basel

Applications from candidates with strong backgrounds in experimental hematology, tumor immunology, or cancer metabolism are particularly encouraged.