Postdoctoral Researcher in Computational Biology and Spatial Multi-Omics for Early Lung Cancer Detection

The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany, is seeking a postdoctoral researcher in computational biology and spatial multi-omics to join the PRELUNG study, focusing on early lung cancer detection and the biological characterization of pulmonary nodules. The successful candidate will work within the Division of Computational and Molecular Prevention, led by Professor Angela Goncalves, and collaborate with the Translational Molecular Imaging in Oncologic Therapy Monitoring Unit. This interdisciplinary research program involves the collection and analysis of pulmonary nodule biopsies from hundreds of patients, utilizing advanced techniques such as spatial transcriptomics and mutREAD DNA sequencing. The postdoctoral researcher will lead integrative analyses of spatial gene expression, genomic alterations (including SNVs and CNAs), histopathology, clinical metadata, and radiomic data. The role emphasizes multi-omics integration, unsupervised discovery, biomarker identification, and active collaboration with clinicians, imaging scientists, and pathologists. A unique aspect of the position is the patient-engagement component, which includes developing frameworks for returning molecular and imaging data to study participants and co-facilitating workshops with ethicists and communication experts. Applicants should have a PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, systems biology, biomedical data science, cancer biology, or a related field, with strong experience in omics data analysis (ideally including single-cell or spatial transcriptomics), proficiency in R and/or Python, and expertise in unsupervised learning, clustering, and integrative analysis. Excellent communication skills, empathy, and experience engaging with non-expert stakeholders are essential. Evidence of patient-facing research, public engagement, teaching, or interdisciplinary leadership is highly valued. The position offers a TV-L salary, occupational pension plan, 30 days of vacation per year, flexible working hours, and a family-friendly environment. Additional benefits include a subsidized Germany job ticket, corporate health management program, and access to the DKFZ International Postdoc Program and Career Service. The initial contract is for 2 years, with the possibility of extension. The application deadline is March 4, 2026. Applications must be submitted via the DKFZ online portal, including a cover letter, CV, and references. For more information, visit the DKFZ job portal or contact Professor Angela Goncalves. Keywords: Computational Biology, Spatial Multi-Omics, Lung Cancer, Bioinformatics, Translational Research, Genomics, Spatial Transcriptomics, Biomarker Discovery, Radiomics, Cancer Biology.