Postdoctoral Researcher; m​/f​/d) in CAR-T Cell Therapy

The Children’s Hospital Augsburg (Swabian Children’s Cancer Center)
and the University of Augsburg are looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d) in CAR-T Cell Therapy and Therapeutic Target Discovery in Pediatric and Rare Tumors to join our interdisciplinary research program at the interface of pediatric oncology, tumor biology, cellular therapy, therapeutic target discovery, and computational cancer biology. The position is a full-time position which is limited to two years.

Single-cell, spatial, and multi-omic technologies are providing unprecedented opportunities to characterize tumor composition, heterogeneity, and evolution. Our research program combines these approaches with experimental tumor modeling to identify clinically actionable vulnerabilities in rare and high-risk tumors

Our group has established a strong track record in the molecular characterization of pediatric and rare tumors, including rhabdoid tumors and other embryonal malignancies. Recent integrative studies have provided new insights into the biology and evolution of these tumors and opened avenues for therapeutic translation (Johann et al., Cancer Cell, 2016;
Erkek, Johann et al., Cancer Cell, 2019;
Fincke et al., Clinical Cancer Research, 2023; Mucha et al., Communications Medicine, 2025; Fincke et al., Nature Communications, 2026, accepted)

A central goal of this position is the identification, prioritization, and experimental validation of therapeutic targets in rare entities for which effective treatment options remain limited. Relevant tumor types include DICER1-associated neoplasms, rhabdoid tumors, pediatric and rare melanomas, and other high-risk pediatric malignancies

The successful candidate will combine molecular and computational analyses with state-of-the-art experimental approaches. CAR-T-cell therapy will represent a major experimental platform for evaluating candidate cell-surface targets and developing targeted cellular therapies

Together with our partner institutions, we are establishing a growing biobank of patient-derived tumor organoids and other advanced tumor models, enabling systematic investigation of target expression, therapeutic efficacy, and mechanisms of resistance, including in vivo

• Identify and prioritize novel therapeutic targets using integrated molecular, single-cell, spatial, and multi-omic data
• Experimentally validate candidate targets using patient-derived models, organoids, and cell lines
• Generate, engineer, and functionally characterize CAR-T cells
• Develop and optimize CAR constructs and cellular therapy strategies
• Evaluate CAR-T-cell efficacy and mechanisms of resistance in vitro and, ideally, in vivo
• Integrate experimental results with bioinformatic and computational analyses
• Develop independent research projects and contribute to grants and collaborative projects
• Publish and present research findings
• Mentor students and junior researchers where appropriate

• PhD or equivalent degree in biology, molecular medicine, cancer biology, immunology, biotechnology, or a related field
• Hands-on experience in CAR-T-cell generation, engineering, and functional characterization
• Strong background in experimental cancer or cellular biology
• Experience in independent experimental research and data analysis
• Strong interest in therapeutic target discovery and translational cancer research
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• Excellent written and spoken English

• Experience with therapeutic in vivo testing of CAR-T cells and/or xenograft models
• Experience with tumor organoids or patient-derived models
• Expertise in CAR design, viral transduction, T-cell expansion, flow cytometry, or functional immune-cell assays
• Experience…