The Gut-Immune-Brain Axis Lab and the Parkinson’s disease Research Team are hiring a full-time (100%) 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.
Their 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 they 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 (fwo.be) to obtain a personal fellowship.
Key Responsibilities
- 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.
Requirements
- 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.
Benefits
- A doctoral scholarship for a period of 1 year to start with. Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship can 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.
- Start date; as soon as possible
- Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders
- You will receive ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
- You will do most of your work at Campus Drie Eiken in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
Organization/Company – University of Antwerp.
Research field – Biological sciences » Other
Research profile – First Stage Researcher (R1).
Country –Belgium.
Application Deadline – 10 Dec 2025 – 22:59 (UTC).
More information: Euraxess.
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