Two PhD student positions in immunology ​/ virology ​/ hematology

Organisation/Company Université de Liège Department Department of infectious diseases Research Field Medical sciences » Cancer research Medical sciences » Medicine Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Final date to receive applications 15 Sep 2026 - 12:00 (Europe/Brussels) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 38 Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

TELEVIE Project:
Role of respiratory viral infections in the initiation and exacerbation of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation
.

The laboratories of Prof. Frédéric Baron (Hematology, GIGA) and Prof. Laurent Gillet (Immunology-Virology, FARAH) at the University of Liège are seeking two PhD students holding a Master’s degree
. These laboratories have internationally recognized expertise in the study of cGvHD after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and in the immunology of respiratory viral infections (1-4). cGvHD is a major complication affecting a large proportion of patients who have undergone allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
The project aims to decipher the mechanisms by which respiratory viral infections contribute to the initiation and/or exacerbation of cGvHD, particularly its pulmonary manifestations (
Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome , BOS) . The project will combine well-established preclinical mouse models of pulmonary (BOS) and cutaneous cGvHD (sclerodermia), controlled respiratory viral infections (influenza, pneumovirus, adenovirus, SARS-CoV-2), together with state-of-the-art immunological approaches: multiparametric spectral flow cytometry, single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics (scRNA-seq/scATAC-seq), multiparametric imaging (MACSima), and TCR/BCR repertoire sequencing.

Candidates will have a strong motivation for fundamental and translational academic research, a keen interest in immunology and/or virology, and a willingness to develop their experimental skills within a multidisciplinary team working in close collaboration between the two laboratories.

Tasks:

• Establishment and characterization of mouse models of cGvHD (pulmonary BOS-type model and cutaneous sclerodermatous model);
• Performing controlled respiratory viral infections (IAV, PVM, MAV-1, SARS-CoV-2) and longitudinal clinical and functional follow-up (plethysmography, Flexi Vent);
• Immunological characterization by multiparametric spectral flow cytometry (blood, bronchoalveolar lavage, lung, skin);
• Single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses (scRNA-seq, scATAC-seq) of lung myeloid populations;
• Characterization of the adaptive immune response (ELISPOT, TCR/BCR repertoire sequencing);
• Histological and molecular analyses of tissue fibrosis processes (lung, skin);
• Teamwork in direct collaboration with the GIGA and FARAH laboratories, and scientific dissemination of results (publications, conferences).

References

• Beguin,
  
  C., Kwan, O., Ehx, G., Humblet-Baron, S., Köse, M.
  
  C., Dubois, S., Canti, L., Courtois, J., Daulne,
  
  C., Caers, J., Beguin, Y., Ritacco,
  
  C., & Baron,
  
  F. (2025). Development of a humanized mouse model of graft-versus-host disease to assess human regulatory T cell function.
  Frontiers in Immunology, doi:
  10.3389/fimmu.
• Ehx,G., Ritacco,C., Hannon,M., Dubois,S., Delens,L., Willems,E., Servais,S., Drion,P., Beguin,Y.,& Baron,F. (2021). Comprehensive analysis of the immunomodulatory effects of rapamycin on human T cells in graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis.
  American Journal of Transplantation
  , doi:
  10.1111/ajt.
  16505
• Dourcy, M., Maquet,
  
  C., Dams, L., Gilliaux, G., Javaux, J., Desmecht,
  
  D., Mack, M., Dewals,
  
  B. G., Machiels,
  
  B.* , & Gillet, L.*. (2020). A gammaherpesvirus licenses CD8 T cells to protect the host from pneumovirus-induced immunopathologies.
  Mucosal Immunology
  , doi:
  10.1038/s-7
• Loos, P., Baiwir, J., Maquet,
  
  C., Javaux, J., Sandor, R., Lallemand,
  
  F., Marichal, T., Machiels,
  
  B.* , & Gillet, L.*. (2023). Dampening type 2 properties of group 2…