PhD – Position in neuroimmunology – Belgium

The Gut-Immune-Brain Axis Lab (Prof. Seppe De Schepper, VIB-UAntwerp) and the Brain and Systems Immunology Lab (Prof. Kiavash Movahedi, VUB) have a vacancy for a full-time (100%) co-joint doctoral project to study tissue-resident macrophages in neurological disorders. This collaborative doctoral project is embedded within the Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences of the University of Antwerp and the Brussels Center for Immunology at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

This project will investigate how peripheral immune signals shape brain and brain-border immunity and drive neuroinflammation in synucleinopathies and other neurodegenerative diseases. The candidate will employ advanced in vivo models and spatial technologies to dissect the roles of tissue-resident macrophages and infiltrating immune cells along the periphery–immune–brain axis.

Position

• You will work actively on the preparation and defence of a PhD thesis in the field of neuroimmunology
• You will publish scientific articles related to the research project
• You will carry out a limited number of research and teaching support tasks

Profile

• You hold a Master degree in biomedical sciences or related life science discipline
• They are looking for candidates with hands-on experience or a strong interest in spectral imaging techniques, confocal microscopy, and bioinformatic analyses
• Experience in mouse work is highly desirable
• Interest in macrophage biology and neurodegenerative disorders
• Your teaching competences are in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision
• Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in English
• You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation
• During the doctoral scholarship, you will be asked to submit and defend an innovative project at the FWO to obtain a personal fellowship.

Benefits

• They offer a doctoral scholarship for a period of two years. Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship can be renewed once for another two-year period
• The planned start date is 1 November 2025, latest
• 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 VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology (campus Drie Eiken) and the VUB Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene), within a dynamic and stimulating working environment
• As part of both VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology and the Brussels Center for Immunology, the applicant will benefit from established collaborations and access to centralized facilities with expertise in functional genomics and cell biology, proteomics, cutting-edge microscopy, immunology, technology development, and bioinformatics.
• VIB provides a highly interactive environment and ample training opportunities for its researchers. The VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology is located in the city of Antwerp, the capital of Flanders, offering a culturally and historically rich and ethnically diverse environment.

Organization/Company –University of Antwerp.

Research field – Medical sciences » Other

Research profile – First Stage Researcher (R1).

Country –Belgium.

Application Deadline – 22 Sep 2025 – 21:59 (UTC).

More information: Euraxess.

Publicaciones relacionadas:

PhD – Position in AI-skills in education – Belgium PhD – 2 PhD positions in Biorefinery and AgroBiotechnology – Belgium PhD in RNA Computational Biology, Neuroscience and Comparative Genomics in Australia Scientific researcher COVID-19 project in Ghent University Professor of Neurophysiology at Uppsala University in Sweden