PhD Position: Regulatory T (Treg) cell fitness (m/f/d)

The research group of Ilgiz Mufazalov in collaboration with Ari Waisman offers the following PhD project:
Regulatory T (Treg) cells are essential for controlling immune responses and preventing excessive inflammation. Currently, they are one of the most actively investigated cell types in immunology, with growing interest in their potential for treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Their importance was further highlighted by the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which recognized discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance mediated by Treg cells.

Tissue inflammation is often associated with increased levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), which can affect the function and stability of Foxp3⁺ Treg cells. How Treg cells survive and maintain their immunosuppressive function in an inflammatory environment remains poorly understood. Understanding the natural mechanisms that allow Treg cells to adapt to inflammation could help improve Treg cell-based therapies for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

PhD Project: How interleukin-6 shapes regulatory T cells during inflammation

IL-6 signaling is mediated by its biologically relevant receptor, IL-6R. Our preliminary data show that IL-6R is expressed on Treg cell precursors in the thymus and on naïve mature Treg cells, but is downregulated on Treg cells at sites of inflammation. Treg cells isolated from IL-6-deficient mice, which lack IL-6 signaling during development, exhibit poor survival in IL-6-driven inflammatory conditions. These findings suggest that IL-6 signaling during Treg cell development may help establish the properties required for mature Treg cells to survive and function in inflammatory environments.

We hypothesize that Treg cells dynamically adjust their response to IL-6 during development and in peripheral tissues, allowing them to maintain immune suppression during inflammation. This regulation may involve changes in IL-6R expression and associated transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms.

In this project, we will investigate how IL-6 signaling shapes the function and fitness of Treg cells in inflamed tissues. We will use mouse models with cytokine overproduction or cytokine/receptor deficiency, as well as spontaneous and experimentally induced inflammatory models. Treg cell transfer experiments will be used to study their survival, stability, and suppressive function. We will combine multicolor flow cytometry (FACS), mouse immunology models, and sequencing approaches to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control Treg cell fitness during inflammation.

The project is strongly immunological and will provide training in experimental mouse immunology, T-cell biology, flow cytometry, and molecular approaches.

If you are interested in this project, please select Mufazalov/Waisman as your group preference in the IPP application platform.

Are you an ambitious scientist looking to push the boundaries of research while interacting with colleagues from multiple disciplines and cultures? Then joining the IPP is your opportunity to give your scientific career a flying start!
All you need is:

• Master or equivalent
• Interactive personality & good command of English
• 2 letters of reference