PhD position in Infection Medicine

Lund University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 46 000 students and 8 500 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Division of Infection Medicine
The Division of Infection Medicine at the Department of Clinical Sciences Lund integrates discoveries on the body’s own peptide-based defence mechanisms with state-of-the-art drug design technologies to develop novel peptide-based immunomodulatory therapies. Within this environment, Dr. Ganna Petruk is establishing an independent research niche focusing on systemic infections, while contributing to a strong collaborative research setting with significant potential for advancing therapies for acute and chronic infections

Within the research group, we value a good work environment with respect and care in our relationships with each other. We continuously strive to create conditions for job satisfaction, development, and participation for all employees.

The research group is now seeking a full-time (100%) PhD student starting June 1st, 2026 (or as agreed).

We offer
Lund University is a public authority, which means that employees get benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme. Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee: Work at Lund University

Work assignments
The proposed PhD project will explore how peptide-based compounds interact with immune cells and influence inflammation. The work includes studying how these molecules are taken up by monocytes and macrophages, identifying the cellular pathways and receptors they affect, and assessing their impact on the interplay between coagulation and inflammatory responses.

Additional tasks may be assigned within the scope of the position.

Qualifications

Requirements for the Position:

• A Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, or a closely related field (120 ECTS).
• Courses in immunology and protein biochemistry.
• Practical experience working with eukaryotic systems, including in vivo models and immune-related cells (e.g., T-cells, macrophage subsets)
• Training in cell signaling pathways, receptor biology, and immune cell function.
• Experience with molecular and cellular techniques such as flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, immune cell profiling, Western blotting, ELISA, or similar methods.
• Analytical skills and experience with data interpretation, including quantitative analysis of experimental results.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and plan and conduct research with attention to detail, scientific rigor, and a structured, systematic approach.
• High motivation and strong interest in developing scientific expertise and achieve research goals.
• A collaborative and communicative team member who actively contributes to a dynamic and stimulating research environment.

Merits:

• Education or documented training using computational models.
• Education or documented training in omics-based approaches, such as transcriptomics or proteomics, including basic bioinformatics analysis.
• Exposure to systematic scientific literature review and manuscript preparation.

Eligibility
Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who- have completed a second-cycle degree- have completed courses of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses, or- have acquired largely equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment to a doctoral studentship is made, the ability of the student to benefit from PhD-studies shall primarily be taken into account. In addition to devoting themselves to their studies, those appointed to doctoral studentships may be required to work with educational tasks, research and administration, in accordance with specific regulations in the ordinance.

Type of employment
Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§. The proposed start date is June 1st 2026, or as agreed.

How to apply
Applications are to be submitted via the University’s recruitment system. The application should include a CV and a personal letter justifying your interest in the position and how it matches your qualifications. The application should also include a degree certificate or equivalent and any other document to which you would like to draw attention (copies of grade transcripts, details of referees, letters of recommendation, etc.).

Welcome to apply!