The Laboratory for Cell Stress & Immunity (KU Leuven, Belgium) seeks a highly motivated PhD position
Broad Research Topic:
Designing and valorising next-generation immunotherapy solutions for immuno-resistant tumours to pave way for near future clinical and industrial immuno-oncology applications
Description:
This is a unique position for a highly motivated candidate, available at the Laboratory of Cell Stress & Immunity (CSI) in KU Leuven, for a research project at the interface of fundamental translational research and immunotherapy product-oriented valorisation efforts in collaboration with the PharmAbs platform of KU Leuven.
This position is embedded in a project that brings together the CSI lab with a translational immunology focus (led by Prof. Abhishek D. Garg), and PharmAbs with an antibody engineering focus (managed by Dr. Nick Geukens). The CSI lab focusses on the following research themes: cancer immunology & immunotherapy, immunology of cancer cell death, immune cell biology, computational immunology, and multi-omics biomarkers for clinical immuno-oncology. The CSI lab aims to specialize in reverse translational approaches to hasten progress in immuno-oncology and help improve therapeutic outlook for cancer patients, in close collaboration with leading researchers, immunologists, and oncologists. PharmAbs is a KU Leuven innovation, valorisation and incubation platform focused on (1) the development of novel antibody discovery and delivery technologies and (2) innovative antibody-based therapeutics and diagnostics. For the current project, PharmAbs’ expertise and technologies will be used to translate basic scientific innovations emerging at our lab into therapeutic solutions for personalized medicine that can be implemented in the clinic and/or commercialized by third parties in near future.
This project aims to utilize fundamental and translational insights recently gained on targeting immuno-resistant tumours in the CSI lab and convert these into tangible antibody-based immunotherapies for treating tumours that have failed to response to anti-PD(L)1 or anti-CTLA4 immunotherapies. The project will integrate advanced antibody engineering with immuno-oncology, multi-omics workflows, and translational immunotherapy. With this project we ambitiously aim to go significantly beyond the current state-of-the-art, by creating innovative immunotherapies that would be eventually ready-to-use in a clinic.
For more info on CSI lab, see the lab website: https://abhishek-d-garg.wixsite.com/csi-lab
For more info on PharmAbs, see their website: https://www.pharmabs.org/
Website unit
Project
The current PhD position is available from 1st October 2026 onwards, for a highly motivated candidate within the research group of Prof. Abhishek D. Garg. Don't wait for the deadline to apply since the incoming applications will be continuously considered. The recruited PhD student will have the following responsibilities:
- Performing high-quality experiments dealing with antibody engineering, ex vivo immune cell biology, immune activation mechanisms, flow cytometry-based immunophenotyping, and in vivo tumor immunology & immunotherapy.
- Delivering presentations (oral or poster) in collaboration meetings, consortium/institutional seminars, and national/international symposiums or conferences.
- Eager to co-supervise the thesis projects of master student.
Profile
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Hold a master’s degree in biomedical or pharmaceutical sciences, or equivalent related disciplines, by July 2026.
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Experience in the following techniques: cell culture, basic animal handling, basic in vitro experiments, basic laboratory skills, basic data analyses & statistics.
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Experience with, and/or knowledge of, the following would be a plus: immunology analyses, antibody characterization or engineering.
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Solid knowledge of immunology, antibodies, oncology, and/or cancer biology.
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Rigorous, organized and proactive with a collaborative mindset and enthusiasm to work in an international and interdisciplinary environment.
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Good oral and written (English) communication skills.
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High intrinsic motivation and strong scientific curiosity.
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Strong academic track record from bachelor throughout master.
Offer
- We offer a full-time PhD position for 3 to 4 years after a positive initial evaluation. The PhD student is expected to apply for personal PhD fellowships (e.g., FWO or other mandate funding). The position will be based at University of Leuven (KU Leuven), where the candidates will be enrolled in the Doctorate Program in Biomedical Sciences.
- Opportunity to work on projects that have real-world applications for cancer patients, thereby being attractive for biotech/pharma industries, and oncologists at hospitals.
- Access to state-of-the-art infrastructures and active collaborations with well-known Belgian or international laboratories.
- A stimulating, international research environment in a world-class academic laboratory and the opportunity to interact with several highly collaborative and world-class investigators.
- The ability to work on scientifically exceptional and high impact, state-of-the-art projects.
- The KU Leuven is one of the most innovative universities in Europe. Leuven is located 20 min. from Brussels, in the center of Europe.
https://www.pharmabs.org/
Interested?
For more information please contact Prof. dr. Abhishek Garg, mail: [email protected] or Mr. Nick Geukens, mail: [email protected]. Interview invitations will be sent out between July 9th and 10th 2026. Interview will be held during the week of July 13th 2026 between 9h-17h CET.
KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.
