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Heidelberg University
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PhD Project: Post-infection tissue remodeling of the endothelium across organs (PAIS_ALER) Heidelberg University in Germany
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Immunology
Funding
Available
Deadline
Dec 17, 2026
Country
Germany
University
Heidelberg University
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About this position
Project focus: This PhD project investigates how past viral infection durably remodels the endothelium across organs and how these changes may contribute to post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS), including long COVID.
The work is jointly hosted by the laboratories of Dr. Alexander Lercher and Dr. Vibor Laketa at the Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research (CIID) within Heidelberg’s infectious disease research environment. The project is designed to test the hypothesis that persistent vascular inflammation is a driver of PAIS and to connect mechanistic laboratory findings with clinical observations from patient data.
The PhD candidate will work with mouse models of respiratory viral infection under BSL-3 containment and complementary primary endothelial cell culture systems. The research aims to determine whether vascular inflammation observed in patients is associated with characteristic tissue pathology across multiple organs and to identify molecular mechanisms contributing to endothelial injury.
A major part of the project is tissue characterization at several scales, from whole organs to tissue slices and single cells. The student will combine histology, multiplexed immunofluorescence, and quantitative fluorescence microscopy, together with standard immunological and molecular readouts. Imaging approaches will be developed and applied with specialists from the Infectious Diseases Imaging Platform (IDIP).
The project is the mechanistic arm of a multicentre research programme funded through the German Centres for Health Research and is closely connected to clinical partners, enabling experimental work to be interpreted alongside data from a completed randomized clinical trial.
Overall, the project offers a highly interdisciplinary setting at the interface of infection biology, endothelial biology, imaging, and translational research.
Funding details
Available
What's required
Applicants should hold a master's degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline such as Biology, Molecular Biology, Immunology, Cell Biology, Infection Biology, or a related field from an internationally accredited institution of higher education. A strong theoretical and practical background in molecular and cell biological methods is required. Experience with mouse models and related qualifications such as FELASA are highly desired. Knowledge of immunology and virology, bioinformatic skills, and experience with imaging and image data analysis are advantageous. Candidates should be highly motivated, interactive, team-oriented, and interested in fundamental questions of infection biology and immunology, with a willingness to establish and optimize novel PAIS model systems under BSL-3 containment. Fluency in English, written and spoken, is required; German is not necessary.
How to apply
Submit the application exclusively through the HBIGS Application System at the provided application page. Read the Open PhD Positions information on the HBIGS website for further application context.
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