The Gut-Immune-Brain Axis Lab led by Prof. Seppe De Schepper (VIB–University of Antwerp) and the Parkinson’s Disease Research Team under Prof. David Crosiers (Translational Neurosciences Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp; Department of Neurology, UZA) invite applications for a full-time PhD position focused on mapping how peripheral and circulating immune cells reflect early Parkinson’s disease (PD) biology. This project targets high-risk individuals and PD patients, aiming to identify circulating immune signatures that anticipate disease onset and progression.

The research will profile circulating immune cells in PD and prodromal cohorts, linking them to clinical readouts and α-synuclein reactivity. You will employ cutting-edge single-cell and immune-profiling approaches, integrated with clinical phenotyping, to discover early biomarkers and develop patient-stratification tools. The position offers the opportunity to work closely with neurologists on patient inclusion and sample workflows, with access to VIB core facilities and data-science support.

The Gut-Immune-Brain Axis Lab specializes in understanding how peripheral immunity shapes brain health and neurodegeneration, with a strong track record in myeloid biology, immune trafficking, and α-synuclein pathology. The clinical team at UZA brings deep expertise in movement disorders and longitudinal cohort management, providing a highly collaborative and translational research environment embedded in VIB and the University of Antwerp.

As a PhD student, you will coordinate cohorts with the clinical team, process samples, perform immune profiling, and interpret data. You will be expected to publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at conferences, and contribute to teaching/service tasks and open, reproducible science practices. During the doctoral scholarship, you will be required to submit and defend an innovative project at the FWO to obtain a personal fellowship, with full support provided for the application process.

Eligibility: Applicants must hold a medical degree or MSc in biomedical sciences, medicine, bioengineering, or a related field, with excellent study results. A strong interest in immunology and neurodegeneration is essential. Experience with human samples and/or immunophenotyping tools (e.g., flow cytometry) is advantageous, but candidates without prior experience should be motivated to learn. Excellent writing and communication skills in English are required; Dutch is an asset for patient-facing coordination. Candidates should be comfortable working at the clinic–lab interface, motivated to work within an international project in Europe (including possible travel), and possess proactive, rigorous, solution-oriented, and critical thinking skills. Attention to quality, integrity, creativity, and cooperation is expected. Teaching and research competences should align with the University of Antwerp’s and VIB’s educational and research visions.

Funding: The position offers a doctoral scholarship for an initial period of 1 year, renewable upon positive evaluation. The applicant will be expected to actively seek independent funding and will be fully assisted in applying for personal fellowships, such as FWO. The package includes a competitive stipend and benefits in line with VIB guidelines, access to state-of-the-art facilities, training in advanced techniques, and support for career development, networking, and mentorship.

Application Process: Applications should be submitted via the VIB online application tool. Required documents include a cover letter detailing research interests, experience, and motivation, a curriculum vitae with a list of publications, and contact information for two references. Please check eligibility criteria before applying. For more information about the research center and teams, visit https://cmn.sites.vib.be/en and https://deschepperlab.sites.vib.be/en. The application link is here.

Start date: As soon as possible.
Deadline: December 31, 2026.