PhD Research Fellowship under ERC Advanced Grant KILLBILL at GIMM Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine in Portugal

Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM), Lisbon, is inviting applications for one PhD research fellowship under the ERC Advanced Grant KILLBILL (Grant Agreement No. 101267836), titled A metabolic-based defense strategy against malaria. The project is led from the Soares Lab (Inflammation Laboratory) and focuses on how bilirubin, a heme-associated metabolite, can protect the host against Plasmodium infection by acting on macrophages.

The PhD project is centered on “Bilirubin-mediated protection of macrophages against cell death: mechanisms and therapeutic potential.” The successful candidate will investigate how bilirubin protects macrophages from cell death during malaria and sterile hemolysis, build a macrophage-based screening system, map molecular changes associated with protection, identify protein targets bound by bilirubin, and validate candidate pathways using gene editing, imaging, rescue experiments, and in vivo disease models. The programme is designed to produce at least one first-author publication and a coherent doctoral thesis.

This fellowship is intended for candidates who can enrol in a PhD programme related to the work plan, specifically the CAML PhD Programme at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, subject to admission and enrolment requirements. The work will be conducted primarily at GIMM in Lisbon within an internationally oriented and collaborative research environment.

Eligibility highlights: candidates should hold a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or recognised equivalent degree totaling at least four years of full-time study or 240 ECTS credits in Life Sciences, Biomedicine, or a related field; must not already hold a PhD; must not have previously received doctoral funding from FCT; and must demonstrate English proficiency at CEFR B2 level or above.

Funding: the fellowship offers a monthly stipend of 1,359.64 EUR, paid monthly by wire transfer, plus personal accident insurance and optional social security support under the applicable Portuguese regime. The fellowship starts in January or early February 2027, initially for 12 months, with renewals possible up to a maximum total duration of 48 months, depending on progress and regulatory conditions.

Application: submit a single merged PDF in English containing the CV, a tailored motivation letter, and academic documents or a declaration of honour if permitted. In parallel, ensure that at least two recommendation letters are sent directly by referees in English before the deadline. The call is open from 12 August 2026 to 20 September 2026.