The University Medicine Oldenburg is a cooperation of the University of Oldenburg with its cooperating hospitals and the University of Groningen with its University Hospital UMCG. Beyond their cooperation in the development of a medical school, the institutions also develop shared research activities.
The University is receiving 22.5 million euros from the Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) and the Volkswagen Foundation from the "Strategic Development of Potential" funding line to sharpen its profile and strengthen its national and international competitiveness through the project "A Programme for Excellence. Developing Strengths and Building Potentials by Interdisciplinary and International Networking". Among other things, this is to be achieved through consistent networking across national and international borders, the promotion of students and scientists in early career phases and the strengthening of interdisciplinary research priorities in socially relevant and innovative areas.
The Divisions for Medical Microbiology and Virology (Prof. A. Hamprecht), Medical Genetics (Prof. M. Hitz), Cardiosurgery (Prof. A. Martens) and Experimental Anaesthesiology (Prof. G. Theilmeier) at the Department of Human Medicine establish in cooperation with the divisions of Marine Microbiology (Prof. Rabus, School V), Informatics (Prof. Peter, School II), AI4Health (Prof. N. Strodthoff) Neonatology (Prof. A. Hilgendorff) and Laboratory Medicine (Prof. A. Petersmann) a research group on gene-environment interactions and are therefore seeking
Three PhD students (m/f/d)
(Salary according to E13 TV-L, 65%)
for four years each.
A prerequisite for the position is the successful completion of an academic university degree (master's or equivalent) in biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or a neighboring discipline with a focus on microbiology, immunology, cardiovascular disease, genetics or inflammation. For project 3, a master’s degree in computational science is also eligible. In addition, previous experience in patient-oriented basic science is an advantage, which is reflected by relevant publications and/or prior projects.
The three projects will be on
- Genetic and environmental drivers of aortic aneurysm formation in mouse and man (project “aneurysm”)
- Antimicrobial resistance and horizontal gene transfer (project AMR)
- Multiomics approaches to improve diagnostics in multigenerational pedigrees and neonates with rare diseases (project: Genomics)
We expect
For all projects:
- Experience in molecular and cellular biology.
- Experience in documentation of research results, data management and analysis.
- Fluent oral and written communication skills in English, at least basic knowledge of German (B1)
- Interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work both independently and in a group with special emphasis on networking with all members of the impulse group "gene environment interactions"
- Self-motivation, creativity, genuine curiosity, work discipline, professional ethics, and ambition
- Team-oriented working style.
For project 1:
- Willingness to perform preclinical studies using in vivo models in small rodents
- Cardiovascular background
- Programming skills in R and Python
For project 2:
- Experience in bacteriological methods
- Knowledge of genomics and/or proteomics is an advantage
For project 3:
- Programming skills for example in Python and R or Java
- Biostatistical knowledge
- Previous experience with the analysis of NGS, genomics and multi-omics datasets
- Experience in medical genetics/genomics will be considered as a valuable asset
What you can expect:
- Close and intense supervision and support
- Full integration into a dynamic multidisciplinary team
- Gain experience with state-of-the-art OMICS technologies
- Vibrant international academic environment
- Professionally stimulating ambience
- Active participation in the development of our research unit.
- Payment in accordance with collective bargaining law (special annual payment, company pension scheme, asset-related benefits) incl. 30 days annual leave.
- Support and guidance during your onboarding phase and your PhD project.
- A family-friendly environment with flexible working hours (flextime) and the possibility of partial mobile work
- Benefits of the company’s health promotion
- An extensive and free further education program as well as programs geared to the promotion of early career researchers (https://uol.de/en/school6/early-career)
- Collect first higher educational teaching experiences or deepen existing ones
- Completion of a high-quality PhD
The University of Oldenburg is dedicated to increasing the percentage of female employees in the field of science. Therefore, female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. According to § 21,3 NHG female applicants are to be preferably considered in case of equal qualification. Applicants with disabilities will be given preference in case of equal qualification.
Please send your application including an academic CV, full publication list, an application letter stating the project you are applying for, your previous scientific work and interests as well as a personal assessment of how you fit the description of the person we seek by 30 March 2026.
Please also provide the name and contact details of three references and send all documents to sandra.schoebel(at)uol.de, Dept. Human Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg.
Please contact us via e-mail in case you have any questions or need further information.
