PhD Immune function in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in the Western world. While targeted therapies have improved outcomes, they are not curative and long-term use is associated with resistance, toxicity, and high costs.

T cell-based strategies, such as CAR-T cells, are promising, but show limited efficacy in CLL due to disease-associated T-cell dysfunction. In the Netherlands, we run multiple international trials testing targeted and T cell-based therapies, with centralized collection of molecular and immunophenotypic data and patient samples.

This project is part of a national initiative with three PhD positions focused on radiomics, MRD, and immune dysfunction, supported by the Dutch foundation for Hemato-Oncology (HOVON).

Would you like to know more about the different phases within the PhD trajectory? You can read more about this on this page.

In this PhD project, you will use high-dimensional datasets to understand treatment responses, predict which patients benefit from specific therapies, and help design future trials testing personalized approaches. You will perform wet-lab experiments (e.g. high-dimensional flow cytometry, molecular and genetic assays) and integrate these with computational analyses using biostatistics and bioinformatics.

We are seeking a motivated and collaborative PhD candidate with a strong academic background and a (nearly completed) Master’s degree in molecular sciences, biomedical sciences, bioinformatics, or a related field.

Furthermore you should have:

• A genuine interest in immunology and cellular biology;
• Practical experience with cell culture and high-dimensional flow cytometry;
• Affinity with biostatistics and/or bioinformatics is strongly preferred;
• A proactive and creative mindset, with the ability to work both independently and in a team;
• Strong communication skills, given the collaborative and multidisciplinary nature of the project.