Postdoctoral Position in Cancer Neuroimmunology

About the role

The successful candidate will lead an ambitious interdisciplinary project at the interface of immunology, neuroscience, and cancer biology. The project will investigate how neural pathways regulate immune responses within tumours and how neuro-immune circuits can be manipulated to improve anti-tumour immunity.

Research directions

• How peripheral sensory or autonomic neurons regulate dendritic-cell and T-cell function
• Neuronal sensing of inflammatory and tumour-derived signals
• Neuropeptide and neurotransmitter regulation of anti-tumour immunity
• Neural control of immune-cell trafficking, activation, and persistence within tissues
• Identification of neuro-immune signalling pathways that promote or restrain tumour growth
• Functional validation of new therapeutic targets at the neuro-immune interface

Experimental approaches

In vivo tumour models, conditional mouse genetics, neuronal tracing, genetic and viral manipulation of neuronal populations, immune-cell depletion and adoptive transfer, spectral flow cytometry, cell sorting, imaging, transcriptomics, single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and functional neuro-immune assays.

Your profile

We are looking for a highly motivated experimental immunologist with a strong interest in neuro-immunology and tissue biology.

Applicants should have:

• A PhD in immunology, cancer immunology, neuroimmunology, molecular biology, or a related discipline
• A strong conceptual and experimental background in immunology
• Substantial hands-on experience with in vivo mouse models
• Extensive experience with flow cytometry and immune-cell phenotyping
• A strong record of experimental research, ideally including a high-quality first-author publication
• The ability to design, execute, and interpret mechanistic experiments independently
• Strong scientific communication skills and the ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment

Qualifications

Experience in tumour immunology, dendritic-cell biology, T-cell biology, mouse genetics, peripheral neuroscience, neuronal tracing, viral vectors, single-cell genomics, spatial biology, or advanced imaging would be particularly advantageous. Importantly, prior training in neuroscience is not required. Candidates with a strong immunology background who are excited to move into the emerging field of cancer neuroimmunology are strongly encouraged to apply.

Research environment

The Dixon Lab is based at the Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, within a highly interactive research environment spanning immunology, cancer biology, neuroscience, genomics, and translational medicine. Our laboratory combines mechanistic in vivo immunology with neural circuit approaches, single-cell technologies, and spatial biology to understand how the nervous and immune systems communicate in health and disease. The successful candidate will have access to excellent infrastructure for flow cytometry, animal experimentation, advanced microscopy, single-cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and computational biology, together with extensive opportunities for collaboration within Basel and internationally. We are particularly interested in candidates who want to take intellectual ownership of an ambitious project, ask mechanistic questions, and develop an independent scientific profile in the rapidly emerging field of cancer neuroimmunology.

We offer

• A stimulating, interdisciplinary research environment focused on neuro-immunology in cancer
• A dynamic and international team with a strong culture of collaboration and mutual support
• Close interaction with neighboring labs in neuroscience, immunology, oncology, and cancer immunology
• Strong mentorship, including career development support and guidance toward independent research careers
• Intellectual freedom to develop computational methods and scientific ideas
• Competitive academic environment at the University of Basel

Application

Please submit a CV including publication list, a brief statement describing previous research experience, scientific interests, and motivation for joining the lab, and contact details for two to three referees. Applications from candidates with a strong background in experimental immunology and in vivo biology are particularly encouraged. Apply at www.unibas.ch.