Postdoctoral fellow in Inflammation and Respiratory Disease

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in children, and its prevalence has been rising globally during the past thirty years, touching up to 10% of the young population. It is also a heterogenous inflammatory disease with distinct underlying pathophysiological mechanisms leading to many endotypes that are poorly characterized. Clinically applicable and non-invasive methods of biomarker sampling are lacking, but crucial for improved diagnosis and treatment. In paediatric asthma, poor administration techniques and low compliance to inhaled corticosteroid therapy heavily impact on therapy success and quality of life of patients.

The aim of the project is to address two major challenges in asthma diagnosis and treatment, the low adherence to inhaled corticosteroid treatment and suboptimal inhalation technique, as well as the lack of non-invasive biomarkers, by combining a digital health approach with deep immunophenotyping. Paediatric patients will be monitored longitudinally after starting inhaled corticosteroid treatment, biosamples will be analysed to detect changes in complex inflammatory signatures in order to assess therapy response and predict clinical outcome. The project consortium combines technical and cutting-edge know-how with excellent patient care and translational research by unifying the expertise of a start-up company specialized in medical engineering with highly recognized experts in pneumology and allergology research and medicine in Luxembourg. 

The Postdoctoral Researcher will participate in a translational research program and integrate a highly recognized and internationally visible research team, at the Department of Infection and Immunity (research group Dr. Christiane Hilger), LIH. 

Key Accountabilities

• Plan, direct, and conduct specialized research experiments to understand immunological mechanism in the context of paediatric asthma;
• Develop and coordinate flow cytometry experiments in the context of a clinical study and perform multi-omic data analysis;
• Collaborate with clinical partners to achieve research goals;
• Prepare manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals;
• Present research findings at national and international conferences;
• Train and co-supervise under- and post-graduate students and technicians;

Key Skills, Demonstrated Experience and Qualifications

We are looking for a highly motivated, perseverant, organized, and flexible postdoctoral fellow, willing to work in a competitive, interdisciplinary, cooperative and international research project.

• PhD in Biomedical Sciences, Immunology, or related field
• Experience with cell culture, immunoassays and multicolor flow cytometry
• Strong background and publication record in respiratory disease, allergy and/or human immunology
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English
• Desired skills: experience with analyzing multidimensional immune data

For any further information please visit:

Dr. Christiane Hilger (PI of the project): https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9455-5442

Located in Luxembourg, LIH offers the opportunity to work in a dynamic, international and multilingual environment that values personal respect and professional achievement based on the highest intellectual and ethical standards. The remuneration for this position shall be based on qualification and experience.
Applications including a cover letter and a curriculum vitae should be sent before 10 September 2024 via our website www.LIH.lu/jobs with the ref: MC/PDIRD0724/CH/DII

Gender Equality

The LIH is an equal opportunities employer. We are fully committed to removing any discriminatory barrier related to gender, and not only, in recruitment and career progression of our staff. The LIH is attentive to gender representation among its leadership staff and aims to eliminate obstacles to the recruitment and promotion of female leaders and their career development.