PhD position (f/d/m) Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology

Hannover Medical School (MHH) is one of Germany's largest and most renowned institutions in the fields of medicine, research, and healthcare, employing more than 10,000 people. As one of the country's leading university hospitals, we offer not only a secure and stable workplace but also a wide range of opportunities for personal and professional growth.
About us

The research group of PD Dr. Anna Saborowski, Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology at Hannover Medical School, is seeking an experienced PhD candidate for a project-related position within the DFG-funded research training group RTG 2978, available as soon as possible.

The Research Training Group (RTG) 2978 is a DFG-funded interdisciplinary Research and Training Consortium jointly established in 2025 by the University Medical Center Göttingen and the Hannover Medical School under the roof of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Lower Saxony (CCC-N). The RTG 2978 mission is to understand and exploit therapy-induced adaptation processes in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer in order to develop novel therapeutic strategies to combat colorectal-, liver-, biliary tract and pancreatic cancer. In their doctoral research projects, trainees combine translational research with in-depth mechanistic studies in relevant pre-clinical GI cancer models and collaborate across scientific disciplines in two leading centers for medical research in Germany. An innovative qualification program, tailored to the scientific and methodological spectrum of the research projects, supports RTG trainees in their individual academic career development.

We offer

• A secure job with one of the largest public employers in the state of Lower Saxony
• Transparent compensation: Depending on your qualifications, compensation up to pay grade E 13 under the TV-L collective bargaining agreement is possible, with the benefits of public service (e.g., employer-sponsored retirement plan and supplemental insurance through VBL)
• A research- and qualification program tailored to the RTG´s scientific mission on therapy-induced adaptation processes in GI cancer
• Working with a highly engaged and interdisciplinary team of renowned scientists in the field in two excellent research institutions
• Highly collaborative research environment with excellent scientific networking possibilities
• State-of-the-art research infrastructure
• Structured and multi-layered supervision by a thesis advisory committee, external advisory board
• A comprehensive career development support program
• Personal mentoring program
• Voluntary international 4-12 weeks lab rotations
• Workplace health promotion through an excellent range of health, fitness, social counseling, and preventive care programs
• Corporate Benefits: exclusive discounts and offers from numerous partner companies

Your tasks

• Execution of a doctoral research project within subproject SP08 of the Research Training Group (RTG) 2978, which aims to understand adaptation to targeted therapies (precision medicine), and the role of the immune system in shaping the drug tolerant persister state in biliary tract cancers: https://www.ccc-niedersachsen.eu/grk-2978/about-us/sp8/
• Characterization of the phenotypic and molecular features of the drug-tolerant state in biliary tract cancer using in vitro and in vivo models; integration of functional, transcriptomic, and epigenetic profiles to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities and rational combination treatment strategies to improve precision medicine in biliary tract cancer
• Participation in an interdisciplinary and interprofessional qualification program tailored to the scientific focus of the RTG and organized by RTG PIs and the established graduate schools Hannover Biomedical Research School and Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences
• Report, summarize, share and analyze data, integrate experimental results with clinical findings, bridging clinical and pre-clinical research
• Present your progress in regular thesis advisory committee meetings, scientific meetings and research conferences
• Contribute to joint scientific publications
• Supervise Medical students in the experimental part of their thesis work

Your Qualifications

• Minimum requirement: Master's Degree in Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Biochemistry, Data Sciences, or Bioinformatics or equivalent from an accredited institution
• Previous experience in relevant research methodology and technology and basic knowledge in gastrointestinal cancer model systems appreciated
• Advanced English Proficiency (C1 or equivalent) expected
• Proficiency in common tools for data analysis, state-of-the-art data procurement and reporting, and bioinformatics
• Willingness to work in an interdisciplinary and collaborative research team and to actively participate in the RTG´s qualification program
• Collaborative mindset