PhD Candidate (m/f/d) - Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Medicine or Related Areas

This PhD project is embedded within a broader research program aiming to overcome chemoresistance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a major cause of early relapse and treatment failure. The candidate will explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms that allow residual leukemia cells to survive therapeutic

stress, focusing on metabolic adaptations and translational regulation. The project will involve cutting-edge techniques and functional assays to characterize novel vulnerabilities in chemoresistant AML. Through these approaches, the candidate will contribute to the identification and validation of innovative therapeutic targets designed to disrupt leukemia cell survival pathways. The ultimate goal of this project is to advance therapies addressing a critical unmet clinical need in leukemia treatment.

We Offer:

• exceptional environment for translational oncology research
• Training in state-of-the-art multi-omics technologies in a fully equipped research environment
• Access to primary human samples
• close mentorship and a collaborative network spanning the University Medical Center Freiburg and international partners
• motivated team with strong background in cancer resistance
• UKF standard employment benefits

Your Tasks:

• Apply and optimize ribosome and polysome profiling workflows for AML cell populations
• Perform metabolic profiling and integrate findings with other datasets
• Generate and longitudinally characterize single cell-derived clones using metabolic phenotyping and drug sensitivity assays
• Conduct in vitro functional assays and in vivo experiments in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models
• Analyze multi-omic sequencing data using established pipelines in collaboration with the bioinformatician

Your Profile:

• Master's degree in biology, biochemistry, molecular medicine, or a related field
• strong background in cell biology and molecular biology
• Experience with cell culture, primary cells, or data analysis is an advantage
• motivated, independent, and detail-oriented work style
• good command of written and spoken English

Employment will be on limited term (36 Month) with possible extension.

We look forward to your application (CV, letter of motivation, references with contact information). Please submit your application via our online portal until June 16, 2026.

University Medical Center Freiburg

Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

Dr. med. Christina Mayerhofer

Breisacher Str. 62, 79106 Freiburg

Any Questions or For further information:
[email protected]