Lead researcher position in Immunology and Immunotherapy

French National Institute for Health Research (INSERM); France; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

French National Institute for Health Research (INSERM) through the INCIT Laboratory seeks an emerging leader to advance adoptive T cell-based immunotherapies. The candidate will integrate strong T cell biology expertise with translational development to enhance efficacy, specificity and persistence of therapies in oncology and beyond.

The role emphasizes biomarker discovery, preclinical modeling, and collaboration with clinical partners to drive early-phase development and technology transfer

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of innovative adoptive T cell-based immunotherapies, with emphasis on T cell biology, functional modulation and therapeutic development strategies.
• Advance the next generation of cell-based treatments by focusing on efficacy, specificity, infiltration and persistence of therapeutic T cells through advanced molecular and cellular approaches.
• Fine-tune antigen recognition, signaling pathways, and functional responses of T cells to enhance activity in complex environments such as solid tumors.
• Investigate strategies to optimize T cell functions, including modulation of receptor signaling, control of activation thresholds, and resistance to immunosuppressive microenvironments.
• Evaluate the impact of optimizations on T cell fate, persistence, exhaustion and antitumor efficacy using in vitro systems and relevant preclinical models.
• Address translational challenges such as antigen heterogeneity and escape mechanisms by developing versatile targeting strategies.
• Identify biomarkers predictive of response and improve the robustness and scalability of T cell-based therapeutic approaches.
• Drive translation of research findings toward clinical applications by collaborating with clinical partners and contributing to early-phase clinical development and technology transfer at institutional and industrial levels.
• Strengthen the Institute's positioning at the interface between fundamental immunology, translational research and therapeutic innovation, ensuring transferability and robustness of approaches in collaboration with clinical and industrial partners.

Job description

Overview

By opening an Inserm chair, the INCIT Laboratory aims to recruit an emerging leader developing innovative approaches in adoptive T cell-based immunotherapy. The selected candidate will bring strong expertise in T cell biology, functional modulation and therapeutic development strategies to advance the next generation of cell-based treatments in oncology and beyond. The project will focus on improving the efficacy, specificity, infiltration and persistence of therapeutic T cells by leveraging advanced molecular and cellular approaches. Particular attention will be paid to the fine-tuning of antigen recognition, signaling pathways and functional responses of T cells in order to enhance their activity in complex pathological environments such as solid tumors. The research program will explore strategies to optimize T cell functions, including modulation of receptor signaling, control of activation thresholds, and resistance to immunosuppressive microenvironments. The impact of these optimizations on T cell fate, persistence, exhaustion and antitumor efficacy will be evaluated using state-of-the-art in vitro systems and relevant preclinical models. In addition, the project will address key translational challenges, such as antigen heterogeneity and escape mechanisms, by developing versatile and adaptable targeting strategies. Emphasis will also be placed on identifying biomarkers predictive of response and on improving the robustness and scalability of T cell-based therapeutic approaches. Benefiting from the strong clinical environment of the INCIT unit and its established networks and facilities, the chair holder will be expected to actively drive the translation of research findings toward clinical applications. This includes fostering interactions with clinical partners, contributing to early-phase clinical development, and promoting innovation and technology transfer in collaboration with institutional and industrial stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of innovative adoptive T cell-based immunotherapies, with emphasis on T cell biology, functional modulation and therapeutic development strategies.
• Advance the next generation of cell-based treatments by focusing on efficacy, specificity, infiltration and persistence of therapeutic T cells through advanced molecular and cellular approaches.
• Fine-tune antigen recognition, signaling pathways, and functional responses of T cells to enhance activity in complex environments such as solid tumors.
• Investigate strategies to optimize T cell functions, including modulation of receptor signaling, control of activation thresholds, and resistance to immunosuppressive microenvironments.
• Evaluate the impact of optimizations on T cell fate, persistence, exhaustion and antitumor efficacy using in vitro systems and relevant preclinical models.
• Address translational challenges such as antigen heterogeneity and escape mechanisms by developing versatile targeting strategies.
• Identify biomarkers predictive of response and improve the robustness and scalability of T cell-based therapeutic approaches.
• Drive translation of research findings toward clinical applications by collaborating with clinical partners and contributing to early-phase clinical development and technology transfer at institutional and industrial levels.
• Strengthen the Institute's positioning at the interface between fundamental immunology, translational research and therapeutic innovation, ensuring transferability and robustness of approaches in collaboration with clinical and industrial partners.