PhD Student Molecular Immunology (m/f/d)

JobID: P0025V374

Searched for the Institute of Immunology – Section Molecular Immunology.

The research group (head: Prof. Dr. Yvonne Samstag) investigates molecular mechanisms that control the activation and motility of immune cells in physiological and pathophysiological settings. As part of the SFB interdisciplinary collaborative research centre CRC156 ("The skin as sensor and effector organ orchestrating local and systemic immune responses"), the PhD project (CRC156-B04) aims to reveal new insights into influencing immune cell activation in allergy and chronic inflammatory skin diseases (e.g. allergic contact dermatitis and psoriasis). Particularly, it will focus on investigating and modulating the molecular mechanisms regulating the interaction between primary human keratinocytes and T cells, including application of an in vitro human skin equivalent model. Moreover, the role of actin-remodeling proteins for the function of different immune cells and their potential as therapeutic target will be analyzed by making use of knock-in and knock-out mouse models.

The aim of the project is to better understand the molecular mechanisms of inflammatory skin diseases and to identify potential therapeutic targets. The work will include a variety of biomedical and immunological research methods (e.g. in vivo mouse models, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, biochemistry, cell biology, and molecular biology), that are largely established in the research group. The opportunity to shape the project with own ideas and to start developing an independent scientific profile will be given and encouraged.