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Cluster of Excellence ImmunoPreCept – Call: PhD & Postdoc positions (m/w/d)

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Cluster of Excellence ImmunoPreCept – Call: PhD & Postdoc positions (m/w/d)

Specialty
General medicine, Internal medicine

Charite Kampagne Englisch Discovery 2
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Work time
full-time, part-time

Start date
Nächstmöglichst

Employment period
limited

Application deadline
27.03.2026

Deployment location Charité
Campus Charité Mitte; Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Wedding; Campus Benjamin Franklin, Steglitz

Jobcode
6817

Salary group
E13

 

Arbeiten an der Charité

Die Stelle im Überblick

The Cluster of Excellence ImmunoPreCept (Exploring the Health-Disease Bifurcation for Cell-based Molecular Prevention and Interceptive Medicine) invites applications for up to 8 PhD positions (65% E13) and 5 Postdoc positions (100% E13) across a broad spectrum of participating disciplines and research areas.

ImmunoPreCept, launched in 2026, is a multidisciplinary research initiative funded under Germany’s Excellence Strategy (DFG). Coordinated by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, it unites Berlin’s leading research institutions: Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité, German Rheumatology Research Center (Leibniz Institute), Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, and Museum für Naturkunde (MfN, Leibniz Institute).

The cluster pioneers a paradigm shift in medicine, moving from treating symptomatic disease to actively preserving health. It aims to decipher how immune-tissue networks maintain homeostasis and how early molecular and cellular changes in homeostatic networks predict disease, enabling targeted prevention and interception of chronic inflammatory and immune-mediated conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer.

ImmunoPreCept integrates single-cell and spatial tissue technologies with AI-driven predictive modeling to map transitions between health, pre-disease, disease and in remission. It leverages Berlin’s interdisciplinary expertise in medical systems biology, immunology, tissue biology, single-cell analysis, and clinical medicine to investigate how immune function sustains tissue integrity, how perturbations drive disease onset, and how clinical remission corresponds to restored physiological health. Through its research and translational programs, the Cluster establishes a foundation for precision-guided, interceptive medicine at scale while promoting dialogue between science and society via the Berlin Hub for Science with Society (BHS²).

Further information on the cluster can be found here.

We seek highly motivated PhD students and postdoctoral researchers who:

  • hold an M.Sc. (for PhD applicants) and/or a PhD (for postdoctoral applicants) in a relevant field, with prior research experience
  • demonstrate strong scientific curiosity, independence, and a collaborative mindset
  • contribute actively to the design, execution, and interpretation of experiments and/or computational analyses
  • engage in interdisciplinary collaborations within the cluster and with partner institutions
  • communicate scientific results effectively in English, both orally and in writing
  • develop intellectually owned research directions and pursue scientific visibility (e.g., publications, conference presentations, and funding applications)
  • participate in mentoring, training, and community activities within the research environment


PhD positions – Detailed information on the available positions can be found here. The duty station depends on the project leader’s affiliation – see the partners listed above.

  • The transition from inflamed tissue into cancer: understanding and targeting metaplasia and signaling pathways leading to serrated CRC from IBD (3 positions)
  • Defining remission states in the bone marrow: a cross-disease framework to predict and prevent relapse
  • Unravelling resident and systemic innate immune reprogramming in the regression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)
  • EBV and human immunity: from physiological integration to autoimmune dysregulation
  • Decoding spatial and clonal evolution in human invasive lobular carcinoma through integrated OpenST, strand-seq, and nanopore sequencing
  • Therapy-induced mutational remodeling of the intestinal epithelium: decoding genomic signatures of IBD interventions using human organoid and patient material


Postdoc positions – Detailed information on the available positions can be found here. The duty station depends on the project leader’s affiliation – see the partners listed above.

  • Embedding engaged research behavior through practice-based research interventions
  • Molecular profiling of gastric mucosa in high-risk population for gastric cancer
  • Defining homeostatic immune-tissue networks preventing autoimmune and inflammatory diseases (2 positions)
  • Intra-nuclear 3D localization regulates allelic availability during inflammation


Application documents required (as a single PDF in English):

  • Cover letter
  • Curriculum Vitae including publications (if applicable)
  • Motivation letter (max. 0.5 page), research statement (max. 1 page)
  • Copies of (translated) academic degrees and certificates
  • Master’s thesis (PDF version) / Dissertation (PDF version)
  • Contact details of two referees

Das bringt die Charité mit

The ImmunoPreCept Academy is a new cross-institutional and cross-sectoral training and career development platform in Berlin for early-career researchers in medicine, life sciences, data science, and public engagement. It brings together the excellent training structures of Charité, MDC, BIH, Berlin University Alliance (BUA), and MfN with novel inter- and transdisciplinary formats to build a diverse, international, and collaborative research community.

The Academy aims to foster scientific excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and early independence, and to support researchers during key career transitions (PhD → Postdoc → Group Leader). By integrating translational and clinical research, molecular data science, and public engagement, the Academy enables participants to address complex biomedical and societal challenges.

Specific Offers for PhD Students

  • Interdisciplinary PhD projects at the interface of medicine, life sciences, data science, and public engagement
  • Two-mentor model (mentors from different disciplines)
  • Interdisciplinary lecture series on current ImmunoPreCept-related topics
  • Orientation placements / short-term stays in collaborating laboratories
  • Interdisciplinary project discussions and peer feedback formats
  • Student-organized interdisciplinary workshops with external speakers
  • Participation in clinical boards and clinical site visits
  • Transdisciplinary workshops with public stakeholders (e.g., patients, citizens, policymakers)
  • Career development workshops (academic and non-academic pathways)
  • Access to BUA and graduate school qualification programs
  • Support for international mobility and conference participation
  • Active integration into the ImmunoPreCept research community and networking formats


Specific Offers for Postdocs

  • Structured, competency-based postdoctoral training aligned with the European Competence Framework for Researchers
  • Two-mentor model: one mentor for scientific development, one mentor for personal and career development
  • Monthly postdoc jour fixe for project review, needs assessment, and training planning
  • Support for preparing competitive grant applications (e.g., Emmy Noether, ERC Starting Grants)
  • Access to ImmunoPreCept seed funding program
  • Dedicated funding for conferences and research visits to acquire complementary technologies
  • Leadership, project management, and self-management training (via BUA programs)
  • Monthly postdoc lunches and annual postdoc days for networking and community building
  • Lean-in circles for peer mentoring and empowerment
  • Career workshops with professionals from academia, industry, policy, and other sectors
  • Job board, external funding database, and application support
  • Targeted preparation for group leader positions and long-term career development


We place great value on a respectful and appreciative working environment, which is a central part of our team culture and actively practiced. Flexible remote work arrangements by agreement, as well as 30 days of vacation (plus days off on December 24 and 31), support a good balance between work and family life.

Advantages

  • A remuneration in accordance with the collective agreement for the federal public service (TVöD VKA-K), including additional company pension scheme of the German Federal and State Pension Fund (VBL)
  • Discounts on a wide range of employee offers in the areas of shopping, travel, and sports
  • Bicycle leasing via JobRad; the Velo Klinik offers discounted rates for employees on campus
  • Charité has been certified as a family-friendly university and family-friendly employer since 2007


At Charité, everyone is welcome, regardless of age, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, or ethnic or social background. Every individual counts! We are committed to equal opportunities and inclusion. Apply easily through our online portal and become part of Charité.

Informationen zur Stelle

  • Entgeltgruppe E13 TVöD-K. Hier finden Sie alle Informationen zum Gehalt und Tarifvertrag
  • Arbeitszeit in Teilzeit/Vollzeit nach Tarifvertrag
  • Die Position ist befristet, da sie an die Projektlaufzeit gebunden ist
  • Bei uns sind 30 Tage Urlaub Standard
  • Die Bewerbungsfrist endet am: 27.03.2026
  • Kennziffer: 6817

Application

 

Everyone is welcome at the Charité, regardless of age, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, ethnic or social background. We are committed to equal opportunities and inclusion.

Apply using our online tool and become part of the Charité.

Apply now

Bei Fragen wenden Sie sich bitte an:

Dr. Inka Gotthardt, Dr. Grietje Krabbe

immunoprecept-career@charite.de

Phone +49 (0)30 450 524074

More information

Data protection information

The Charité would like to point out that personal data is stored and processed at various locations at the Charité premises (e.g. specialty department, personnel representatives, HR department) as part of and for the purposes of the application process. Furthermore, the data may be transferred or processed within the group and to external bodies (e.g. authorities) to protect legitimate interests. By submitting your application, you agree to our data protection policy and terms of use for application procedures, which you can find here.

Additional information

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin makes its personnel decisions based on suitability, ability and professional performance. The Charité aims to increase the proportion of women in management positions and therefore strongly encourages women to apply. Women with equivalent qualifications will be given priority within the scope of legal possibilities. Applications from people with a migration background who meet the recruitment requirements are expressly encouraged. Severely disabled applicants with equal qualifications will be given preference. A police good-conduct certificate, in some cases an extended good-conduct certificate, is required at the time of recruitment. Unfortunately, application documents can be returned only if a sufficiently stamped envelope is enclosed. Any incurred travel expenses cannot be reimbursed.