Pawel Paszek

This PhD position at the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research Polish Academy of Sciences (IPPT PAN) in Warsaw, Poland, offers an exciting opportunity to investigate cellular heterogeneity in innate immune responses to bacterial infection. The project focuses on understanding why genetically identical immune cells respond differently to the same pathogen and environment, using Listeria monocytogenes as a model system. The research aims to uncover how infection alters transcriptional variability and signalling networks in macrophages, ultimately influencing pathogen control and dissemination. The project integrates experimental infection biology, single-cell genomics (including scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq), advanced imaging, and quantitative modelling to study immune responses at both cellular and tissue scales. Data from human PBMC-derived macrophages and mouse infection models will be combined to identify mechanisms regulating cellular heterogeneity during infection and to determine how this variability contributes to effective antibacterial immunity. The successful candidate will join the Laboratory of Modelling in Biology and Medicine (PMBM) at IPPT PAN, which offers a multidisciplinary environment combining experimental infection biology, advanced microscopy, single-cell genomics, and quantitative modelling. Next-generation sequencing experiments will be conducted in collaboration with the Laboratory of Sequencing at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology. The PhD student will receive training in state-of-the-art experimental and computational approaches and participate in infection experiments, single-cell dataset generation and analysis, fluorescence microscopy, image analysis, molecular and cellular analyses, and integration of experimental datasets with computational and mathematical methods. The candidate will also prepare scientific publications and present research results at national and international conferences. Applicants must have an MSc degree in biology, biotechnology, microbiology, immunology, bioengineering, or a related discipline. Required skills include experience in molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology, immunology, infection biology, or related experimental fields, and excellent command of English. Advantageous qualifications include experience with mammalian cell culture, primary immune cells, bacterial infection models, flow cytometry, microscopy, molecular biology, next-generation sequencing or bioinformatics, laboratory animal work and mouse models, computational and bioinformatics skills (R or Python programming, statistical analysis, image analysis, omics datasets), quantitative biology, systems biology, mathematical modelling, or machine learning, and evidence of research excellence such as publications, conference presentations, scholarships, or awards. The position is funded by a research scholarship under the NCN project, offering up to PLN 5,000/month for 48 months. The planned starting date is September 2026. Applicants should submit a copy of their MSc diploma, CV (including publications, conference presentations, prizes, stipends, and contact details for two references), a one-page motivation letter, and the required GDPR clause to Prof. Pawel Paszek ([email protected]) with a copy to Ms. Agnieszka Ponarska ([email protected]) by August 9, 2026. For further information about the laboratory and sequencing collaboration, visit Nencki Institute Laboratory of Sequencing and IPPT PAN . The full position description is available at Euraxess .