PhD in bioinformatics

Organisation/Company KU LEUVEN Department Oncology Research Field Medical sciences » Medicine Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Country Belgium Final date to receive applications 23 Jan 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 6 Apr 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number BAP
- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

The team is seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate in bioinformatics to join this multidisciplinary clinical and translational research team focused on advanced multi-omics-based trials in colorectal cancer. The successful candidate will support the analyses of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics datasets generated from the team’s ongoing and upcoming industry- and investigator-led clinical trials, with the goal of uncovering mechanisms of treatment resistance.

The candidate will be part of a highly interconnected international network of academic and industry partners. The candidate will have full access to cutting-edge computational frameworks, cloud infrastructures, and state-of-the-art single-cell and spatial technologies through these collaborations. You will be embedded in a vibrant environment that values innovation, teamwork, and scientific rigor, with direct impact on ongoing clinical trials.

• Perform end-to-end analysis of single-cell RNA-seq, multiome, and spatial transcriptomics datasets from patient samples.
• Integrate multi-modal genomic, clinical, and pathological data to generate biologically meaningful insights.
• Work closely with clinicians, wet-lab scientists, pathologists, and immunologists to define and prioritize mechanisms of treatment resistance.
• Collaborate with international bioinformatics teams and technology partners to apply the latest analytical pipelines and emerging computational tools.
• Contribute to scientific publications and presentations at international conferences.

• Master’s degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Systems Biology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Prior experience with single-cell and/or spatial transcriptomics analysis (e.g., Seurat, Scanpy, Squidpy, Cell Ranger, Space Ranger) is highly desirable but not strictly required—strong interest and willingness to learn are essential.
• Solid programming skills in Python and/or R; experience with reproducible workflows (Git, Snakemake/Nextflow, containers) is a plus.
• Interest in cancer biology, tumor microenvironment biology, or immuno-oncology is an asset.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team.
• Strong communication skills and good organization.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English is required.