PhD Student in Cardiovascular Immunology and Innate Immunity – Medizinische Klinik I (Kardiologie) University of Munich in Germany

The University of Munich's Hospital (LMU Klinikum), one of Europe's leading university hospitals, is seeking a PhD student for the Department of Cardiology (Medizinische Klinik I, Kardiologie) at Campus Großhadern. The department is renowned for its cutting-edge research and is embedded in several collaborative research centers and graduate schools, including the DFG CRC1123 and the Munich Medical Research School (MMRS).

This PhD project focuses on the crosstalk between innate immune cells, platelets, and plasmatic factors in cardiovascular and infectious diseases. The research group employs both basic experimental and translational approaches, utilizing a wide array of in vitro and in vivo methods. These include transgenic mouse models with cell-type specific knockouts, clinically relevant models of cardiovascular disease and inflammation, super-resolution in-vivo microscopy, and advanced multi-omics techniques such as single-cell RNA sequencing, bulk RNA sequencing, multi-panel flow cytometry, and proteomics.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to correlate experimental findings with clinical samples from a large biobank of cardiovascular disease patients. The role involves acquiring and analyzing multi-omics data from cryopreserved patient-derived samples and collaborating closely with clinicians to assess patient outcomes. Results will be presented at project meetings and published in high-impact scientific journals.

The ideal applicant will have a strong interest in cardiovascular immunology and innate immunity. Prior experience with mouse handling and surgical techniques is preferred, as is familiarity with experimental data analysis and high-throughput data (e.g., scRNA-seq, proteomics). Strong communication and teamwork skills are essential.

The PhD will be part of the new graduate school program "PhD in Medical Research – Cardiovascular Science" at MMRS, offering a structured curriculum with state-of-the-art lectures in vascular biology and cardiovascular medicine. The interdisciplinary team includes medical doctors, biologists, and bioinformaticians, working together on both classical immunological and multiomic approaches. The program supports both mechanistic in-vitro models and advanced murine disease models for translational research.

Remuneration is based on the Collective Agreement for the Public Sector of the Länder (TV-L), with all standard public sector allowances. Additional benefits include further education and training, a company pension scheme, childcare services, mobile work options, a job ticket, discounts, and staff accommodation (if available). Disabled applicants will be given preference in case of equal qualification. Presentation costs are not refundable.

To apply, submit a cover letter, CV, and any letters of recommendation as a single PDF file. For further information, contact PD Dr. med. Rainer Kaiser. Apply via the provided application link.