Job advertisement
Job-ID 06/2026
At the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), we investigate the pathobiology of microorganisms and develop new natural product-based active compounds for the treatment of infectious diseases.
Doctoral Researcher Position (m/f/div) in Infectious Diseases
The position is limited to three years.
Your mission
We are seeking an excellent and enthusiastic Ph.D. student with a strong interest in infections, immunology, and the microbiome. The Ph.D. project is part of NeurInfect, a new, translationally oriented research training group funded by the DFG to investigate the biological mechanisms of neuropsychiatric sequelae following infections. You will use murine models to investigate how microbiome composition and distinct members of the gut microbiota influence pneumonia-induced neuroinflammation and its cognitive and behavioral consequences.
What you can expect:
Your profile
We offer
The successful candidate will be hosted in the department Microbial Immunology at the HKI and will be co-supervised by Prof. Ilse Jacobsen, HKI, and Prof. Christian Geis, UKJ. The department Microbial Immunology, led by Prof. Ilse Jacobsen, investigates host-pathogen and pathogen-pathogen interactions, aiming at a better understanding of the development of pathophysiological alterations during infection (e.g., Kapitan et al., PNAS, 2025; Dunker et al., Nature Communications, 2021). The group of Prof. Christian Geis at the UKJ is internationally renowned for their work on infection-related neuroinflammation (e.g., Chung et al., Science Advances, 2023; Ceanga et al., Cell Reports, 2023).
Doctoral Researcher Position (m/f/div) in Infectious Diseases • Jena, Germany