We are looking for candidates with a strong background in single-cell and/or spatial immunoprofiling and experience in bioinformatic analysis of -omics datasets to interrogate immune system alterations. In close collaboration with scientists and clinicians from the Clinic I for Internal Medicine/Oncology department, the candidate will test established mouse models of cardio-oncology and aim to collect clinical specimens. The task focuses on identifying immune cell alterations in the tumor post cardiovascular injury and, vice versa, the tumor-induced changes on cardiovascular disease. With this data, we aim to elucidate the interplay between the failing heart and the growing tumor. In this role, you will help establish and drive the experimental and computational framework of the project, including developing single-cell and spatial omics pipelines, generating, analyzing, and integrating multi-omic datasets while collaborating closely with clinicians and interdisciplinary partners. The ideal candidate has the ability to work independently in an interdisciplinary environment and will engage in training and supervision of undergraduate and medical students. 

We are seeking talented scientists with a PhD in immunology, biomedical science, bioinformatics, computational biology or a related field, ideally with a strong track record of publications and proven experience with single-cell data and immune cell analysis (e.g., scRNA-seq; spatial or epigenomics is a strong plus). Basic knowledge of the immune system is required. Programming skills in R and/or Python as well as an interest in or willingness to engage in wet-lab work (sample preparation, mouse handling) are required. Prior experience with mouse handling is desirable (e.g. FELASA-certification). The working language is English, and excellent scientific writing and oral communication skills are essential.

• Everything but ordinary: You can expect a secure job in a challenging, innovative environment – including company pension schemes and regular working hours without business trips.
• Work-life balance: Whether full-time or part-time, with or without children – with numerous support options, we will find the right path together.
• Team spirit in R(h)ine culture: You will be warmly welcomed by an interdisciplinary team that values mutual respect and helpfulness.
• Strong perspectives: We offer extensive training opportunities – so you can continuously grow and set new goals.

A position is available jointly offered by the AG Riffelmacher and AG Winkels at the Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Germany, to investigate immune cell biology at the interface of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Our research focuses on the bidirectional interplay between cardiovascular injury and malignancy, examining how immune responses shape post-cardiovascular disease tumor development and how cancer and its therapies affect cardiac inflammation, remodeling, and repair. We combine mechanistic studies in mouse models with translational analyses of human samples to define immune pathways that drive disease progression or tissue regeneration, with the goal of developing new immunologically informed strategies for cardio-oncology.

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Thomas Riffelmacher
Tel: +49 151-70216874