PhD in Antibody-Drug Conjugate Engineering for Cancer

University of Copenhagen; København; On-site; DKK 323,000 - 387,000; Full time

Job summary

The Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC) at the University of Copenhagen invites applications for a 3-year PhD fellowship in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) research. The successful candidate will join the group of Associate Professor Lars Henning Engelholm, with a start around 15 January 2027.

The project aims to engineer next-generation ADCs with improved internalization and lysosomal routing, including bispecific constructs, with in vivo testing and collaboration with Novo Nordisk

Qualifications

• MSc in pharmaceutical biotechnology, biotechnology or related field with excellent record.
• MSc thesis or equivalent on antibody-drug conjugates or antibody-based cancer therapeutics.
• Hands-on production, validation and payload conjugation of recombinant antibodies.
• Experience with cytotoxicity, cell viability and drug screening assays in mammalian cancer cell lines.
• Experience with flow cytometry.
• Experience with laboratory animal work.
• Experience from an international research laboratory and excellent written and spoken English.
• Experience with functional genomics (e.g. CRISPR-Cas9 screening) and sarcoma models is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Production, purification and validation of recombinant and bispecific antibodies.
• Conjugation of antibodies to cytotoxic payloads and characterization of ADCs.
• Cell-based assays: uptake, internalization, flow cytometry and cytotoxicity tests.
• In vivo efficacy studies in tumor models.
• Writing scientific publications and presenting at conferences.

Education

MSc degree in pharmaceutical biotechnology/biotechnology or closely related field

MSc thesis or equivalent research on antibody-drug conjugates or antibody-based cancer therapeutics

Hands-on production, validation and payload conjugation of recombinant antibodies

Cytotoxicity, cell viability and drug screening assays in mammalian cancer cell lines

Flow cytometry

Laboratory animal work

International research experience; excellent English

Experience with functional genomics (CRISPR-Cas9) and sarcoma models (advantage)

Job description

The Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC) at the University of Copenhagen invites applications for a 3-year PhD fellowship in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) research. The successful candidate will join the group of Associate Professor Lars Henning Engelholm, with a start around 15 January 2027.

The project aims to engineer next-generation ADCs with improved internalization and lysosomal routing, including bispecific constructs, with in vivo testing and collaboration with Novo Nordisk