Job offer

European Commission; France; Sur place; EUR 30 000 - 48 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

The European Commission is seeking a researcher for a PhD position focused on improving lung transplantation techniques through innovative gene therapies. Candidates should possess a Master's degree in a relevant field and have strong research skills. This role offers an attractive salary and a chance to contribute to groundbreaking medical research in lung health.

Qualifications

• Must have a MSc or equivalent degree.
• Not holding a PhD degree or having successfully defended it.
• Demonstrate high proficiency in written and spoken English.

Responsabilités

• Develop and test new gene therapies for donor lungs.
• Assess and enhance ex vivo lung perfusion technology.
• Collaborate within a research team focused on lung transplantation.

Connaissances

Research ability

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Formation

Master's degree in human/animal physiology or related field

Description du poste

Biological sciences » Biological engineering

Organisation/Company FOCH HOSPITAL Department Thoracic surgery Research Field Medical sciences » Health sciences Biological sciences » Biological engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country France Application Deadline 28 Sep 2025 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 40 Offer Starting Date 1 Mar 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Reference Number 101227159 Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 1101227159 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Common complications after lung transplantation are ischemia-reperfusion injury and primary graft dysfunction, and chronic organ rejection affects 50% of patients. Immunosuppressant therapy is associated with significant toxicity and vulnerability to infections. There is also an ongoing shortage of donor organs. New strategies are urgently needed to reduce the risk of lung transplant complications, an increase the pool of organs that are available for transplantation. LifeLUNG will develop gene therapies for donor lungs to improve their quality for transplantation and reduce the risk of rejection. The overall LifeLung project will refine the ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) technology, leverage biobanks for gene target discovery, and use machine learning to identify immune factors linked to rejection. It will also develop gene modification methods and delivery tools tailored to the lung, scalable production of gene therapies, and obtaining understanding of economic and ethical insights throughout the research-to-clinic pipeline. LifeLUNG research activities are organised in four work packages with 15 doctoral projects. In the INRAE Jouy en Josas laboratory together with the Foch Hospital in Suresnes (France), we will be hosting one of the doctoral project (named DC2). Classical EVLP involves positive pressure ventilation and a static prone position of the lung, both being associated with edema and inflammation that are correlated with worse outcomes and prevent prolonged EVLP. DC2 will assess the effectiveness of a new EVLP device named "Revolution" which allows lung ventilation through negative pressure and continuous mobilization. They will evaluate the device’s capability to prolong stable EVLP up to 12 hours which would be favourable for any genetic manipulations. This new platform will be used in LifeLUNG for the first tests in human lungs declined for transplant.

A scientist with a Master 2 in human/animal physiology is desired. MDs with specialty in thoracic surgery, anaesthesiology or pulmonology would be suitable candidates too.

Specific Requirements

We welcome applicants of any nationality and background, provided that they fulfil the following specific requirements:

• Applicants hold a MSc or equivalent degree in a subject specified in the description of the individual PhD projects.
• Applications do not hold a PhD degree or have successfully defended their PhD.
• Applicants have the necessary academic skills and background to make the success of a doctoral degree.
• Applicants did not reside or carry out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date (FRANCE in this case). Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status are not considered (mobility rule).
• Applicants must fulfil the local requirements and must be eligible to enrol the PhD programme at the host institution.
• Applicants demonstrate high level of proficiency in written and spoken English, which will be assessed with the motivation letter and the interview, respectively

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Research Field Biological sciences » Biology

Additional Information

The selected candidates will receive an attractive salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for Doctoral Researchers ( https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/doctoral-networks ). The exact (net) salary will be confirmed upon appointment and is dependent on local tax regulations and on the country correction factor (to allow for the difference in cost of living in different EU Member States). The salary includes a living allowance, a mobility allowance, and a family allowance (if applicable). The guaranteed PhD funding is for 36 months (i.e., EC funding, additional funding is possible, depending on the local Supervisor, and in accordance with the regular PhD time in the country of origin).

Eligibility criteria

We welcome applicants of any nationality and background, provided that they fulfil the following specific requirements:

• Applicants hold a MSc or equivalent degree in a subject specified in the description of the individual PhD projects.
• Applications do not hold a PhD degree or have successfully defended their PhD.
• Applicants have the necessary academic skills and background to make the success of a doctoral degree.
• Applicants did not reside or carry out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date (FRANCE in this case). Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status are not considered (mobility rule).
• Applicants must fulfil the local requirements and must be eligible to enrol the PhD programme at the host institution.
• Applicants demonstrate high level of proficiency in written and spoken English, which will be assessed with the motivation letter and the interview, respectively

Selection process

All applications need to be submitted through the online recruitment portal on the LifeLUNG website (www.lifelung.eu ). Candidates can only apply once electronically indicating their preference for up to three positions. Candidates have to provide the following documents:

• A motivation letter (max 2 pages) highlighting your research experience, academic achievements and reasoning your interest in LifeLUNG and selected research projects
• At least two letters of reference from former mentors
• Transcripts of bachelor and master’s degree (with translation to English, if needed). These documents must show the grades attained in exam periods, when applicable, and evidence that the required degree will be obtained by the expected time of recruitment if it has not already been awarded.

Applications are made through the on-line application form on the LifeLUNG recruitment webpage (www.lifelung.eu ). DCs can apply for as many as three specific positions and list their order of preference.

All eligible applications will be reviewed by the corresponding supervisory team and the best candidates will be invited for a videoconference interview. All candidates will be interviewed firstly by the recruitment committee in an online call. After the interviewing round, the supervisory teams will shortlist 2 to 3 applicants for each position who will be invited for the LifeLUNG in-person recruitment event on November 7th 2025 in Leuven, Belgium (videoconferencing option will be available for those unable to attend in person). Final ranking of applicants will be made by the recruitment committee and all candidates will be informed on the final decision within one week after the recruitment event. Please note, the final appointment of the selected DCs will be subject to approval by the Doctoral School at the host institution where the candidate is enrolled.