About us:

T-RAFIC – Tracking and controlling therapeutic immune cells in cancer is a Doctoral Network of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie program co-funded by the European Union, the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and the UK Government.

Who we are

T-RAFIC is a scientific network comprising 13 academic and four industrial partners from nine European countries. Its mission is to train the next generation of experts in the field of cell therapies of cancer.

T-RAFIC starts on March 1st, 2025, and will run for four years. Each Doctoral Candidate (DC) will be employed at a host institution for up to 36 months, working on a dedicated scientific project while preparing a doctorate.

A structured training program will bring together all DC for scientific meetings, skill development workshops, career events and international conferences. Additionally, the DC will undertake several secondments at different institutions within the network to gain specialized knowledge and acquire essential methodologies for their research projects.

Scientific Scope

Cancer immunotherapies have been established in a growing number of clinical indications and the pace of development is massively accelerating. Currently over 6.000 clinical trials are investigating immune-related treatments in oncology especially in combinations. It includes both adoptive cellular therapies and immune modulating treatments such as immune check point blockade. In contrast, the understanding of how such therapies mediate their mode of action is still mostly poorly understood. In particular, the role of distribution and relocation of immune cells after therapeutic interventions remains unknown. This is surprising, as immune cell interactions are a hallmark of therapeutic immune responses. T-RAFIC will enhance understanding of immune cell trafficking under therapeutic influence. It will open new paths and avenues to treatments, boost their efficacy and help prioritizing the plethora of immune therapeutic combinations. In the past, detailed analysis of cellular distributions was facing technical barriers. Advances in technologies, now permit tracking and visualization of cells in vitro and in vivo at an unprecedented resolution, allowing for the first time studies on immune cells under therapeutic influence. This emerging field of research has enormous potential and key importance for next generation of researchers in oncology and beyond. However, experts in this field are missing and this threats European research, development and medicine. Therefore, T-RAFIC joins forces of 13 academic and four industrial partners from nine European countries to conduct an innovative and interdisciplinary approach combining cell imaging with bioinformatics, cell engineering and clinician expertise. The network bundles recognised expertise in cancer immunotherapies, empowering European research and innovation and ensuring a sustainable cooperation in science and training.

We are looking for you:

Doctoral Candidate funded by the European programme DN-MSCA of Horizon Europe (m/f/x)

in Munich

Your tasks and responsibilities:

Excellent scientists seeking to obtain a doctorate, holding a Master’s degree or equivalent in natural sciences or related disciplines (such as medicine or pharmacy); practical skills in modern laboratory work, preferentially combined with experience in animal experiments are required.

Open positions as Doctoral Candidate:

The Division of Clinical Pharmacology at the Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich invites applications for three research positions within the Doctoral Network T-RAFIC:

• Project 6 (DC4): Tracking of therapeutic syngeneic CAR-T cells. In Germany, Munich, at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, supervised by Sebastian Kobold. Indicative monthly gross salary1: 3.942,20€ Specific requirements for this position: Experience with animal experimentation is beneficial but willingness to work with animals is a prerequisite
• Project 14 (DC12): Use of chemokine receptor pairs for site-specific recruitment of adoptively transferred therapeutic T cells. In Germany, Munich, at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, supervised by Sebastian Kobold. Indicative monthly gross salary1: 3.942,20€ Specific requirements for this position: Experience with animal experimentation is beneficial but willingness to work with animals is a prerequisite
• Project 18 (DC 15): Using TME-signals to boost and redirect CAR engineered cells. In Germany, Munich, at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, supervised by Sebastian Kobold. Indicative monthly gross salary1: 3.942,20€ Specific requirements for this position: Experience with programming and machine learning is an advantage. Experience with animal experimentation is beneficial but willingness to work with animals is a prerequisite.

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[1] This indicated amount of monthly gross salary is not legally binding and serves solely as a guideline. This indicated amount of monthly gross salary is calculated based on the living allowance, the mobility allowance and the country correction coefficient for living allowances as described in Horizon Europe, Work Programme 2023-2024, 2. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, European Commission Decision C(2022)7550 of 6 December 2022. The different country correction coefficients are the reason for the different amounts. The indicated rates do not include all employer and employee’s taxes and contributions. Each amount of gross salary will have to be adjusted to each Doctoral Candidate's individual situation, considering potential additional allowances and the internal regulations of the respective Employing Institution.

Your qualifications:

doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible. You cannot have spent more than 12 months within the past 36 months in the country where the position you are applying for is located (mobility rule); you must be proficient in the English language both written and spoken (proof required).

Benefits:

Cutting edge research projects and training with leading experts in the field of cell and immune therapy; employment contract up to three years with the benefits of the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie program with the possibility of earning a doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent).

Also possible in a part-time capacity.

Contact:

The two-stage application procedure will be carried out in compliance with the Code of Conduct for Recruitment and the Charter for Researchers.

• The first stage consists of sending your documents and filling out the required information within the application portal of T-RAFIC,  by April 30, 2025. Please note that we will only evaluate fully completed application forms that are submitted via the application portal of T-RAFIC before the deadline. 
• Second stage: Selected candidates from the first stage will be invited for interview, possibly remotely, with the supervisor of the position for which the candidates have applied. Application or travel costs cannot be reimbursed.

Project Manager of T-RAFIC: simone.gautier@med.uni-muenchen.de

Further information on T-RAFIC and open call

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