PhD position- Clinical-translational neuroimmunology of Parkinson’s disease

The Gut-Immune-Brain Axis Lab (Prof. Seppe De Schepper, VIB–UAntwerp) and the Parkinson’s disease Research Team (Prof. David Crosiers Translational Neurosciences Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAntwerp; and Department of Neurology, UZA) are hiring a full-time PhD to map how peripheral and circulating immune cells reflect early Parkinson’s disease (PD) biology. The project focuses on high-risk individuals and PD patients and aims to identify circulating immune signatures that anticipate disease onset and progression.

Project

• Profile circulating immune cells in PD and prodromal cohorts and link them to clinical readouts and α-synuclein reactivity.
• Use cutting-edge single-cell and immune-profiling approaches, linked to clinical phenotyping, to discover early biomarkers and patient-stratification tools.
• Work side-by-side with neurologists on patient inclusion and sample workflows, with access to VIB core facilities and data-science support.

About us

Our lab studies how peripheral immunity shapes brain health and neurodegeneration, with a strong track record in myeloid biology, immune trafficking, and α-synuclein pathology. The clinical team at UZA brings deep expertise in movement disorders and longitudinal cohort management. Together we offer a highly collaborative, translational environment embedded in VIB and the University of Antwerp.

Position

• Drive a clinical-translational PhD: cohort coordination (with clinical team), sample processing, immune profiling, and data interpretation.
• Publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences.
• Contribute to limited teaching/service tasks and to open, reproducible science practices.
• During the doctoral scholarship, you will be asked to submit and defend an innovative project at the FWO (www.fwo.be) to obtain a personal fellowship. Please do check eligibility criteria prior to applying for this position.

Profile

• Medical degree or MSc in biomedical sciences, medicine, bioengineering, or related field, with excellent study results.
• Strong interest in immunology and neurodegeneration; experience with human samples and/or immunophenotyping tools is a plus (eg flow cytometry)
• Comfortable working at the clinic–lab interface; excellent writing and communication in English (Dutch is an asset for patient-facing coordination).
• Motivated to work within an international project in Europe, including possible travelling.
• Proactive, rigorous, solution-oriented and a critical thinker.
• Attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation.
• Teaching competences that are in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision/VIB
• Research qualities that are in line with the faculty and university research policies/VIB

What We Offer

• A doctoral scholarship for a period of 1 year to start with. Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship will be renewed.
• The applicant will be expected to actively seek independent funding and will be fully assisted in applying for personal fellowships, such as FWO
• Access to state-of-the-art facilities and training in advanced techniques.
• Opportunities for career development, networking, and mentorship.
• Support for presenting at international conferences and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
• A competitive stipend and benefits package in line with VIB guidelines.
• Start date: as soon as possible 

How to apply?

Submit your application through the VIB online application tool and be sure to include:

• A cover letter detailing your research interests, experience and motivation to join the team
• A curriculum vitae, including a list of publications.
• Contact information for two references.

For more information about our research center https://cmn.sites.vib.be/en

For more information about the teams https://deschepperlab.sites.vib.be/en