A PhD in lung cancer at DKFZ has opened at the DKTK partner site in Munich, based at LMU Klinikum Großhadern. Funding covers three years, the start date is November 2026, and applications close on 11 August 2026.
Summary details: PhD in lung cancer at DKFZ Munich
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Position | PhD Student, Translational Cancer Biology |
| Field | Small cell lung cancer, gene regulation, functional genomics |
| Institution | DKFZ, DKTK partner site Munich with LMU Klinikum Großhadern, Munich, Germany |
| Funding | Fully funded, doctoral salary with the usual social benefits |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Application Deadline | 11 August 2026 |
| Degree required | Master’s in molecular medicine, human biology, biochemistry, biology, or a related life science |
About the position
The PhD in lung cancer at DKFZ sits in the Department of Translational Oncology and looks at small cell lung cancer: how it progresses, how it spreads, and why it stops responding to treatment. The group’s angle is MYC, and specifically how MYC-driven transcription and epigenetic control of enhancer networks set the gene expression programmes behind those problems. Experiments run in human and murine SCLC models, with patient-derived material and clinically relevant preclinical systems alongside them. Sequencing analysis is part of the work, but the advert says plainly that the project is mainly experimental, so expect most of the week at the bench. The stated goal is to find therapeutic vulnerabilities that could widen the treatment options open to SCLC patients.
Research areas and focus
| Area | Focus |
|---|---|
| Cancer biology | SCLC progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance |
| Gene regulation | MYC-driven transcriptional and epigenetic control of enhancer networks |
| Functional genomics | CRISPR genome engineering and functional screening |
| Cancer models | Patient-derived models, three-dimensional culture, genetically engineered mice |
| Computational analysis | Bulk and single-cell RNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq |
What you will do
- Run bench experiments in human and murine SCLC models, covering cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular work
- Edit genomes with CRISPR and run functional screens
- Set up 3D cancer models and characterise them
- Handle genetically engineered mouse lines
- Pull multi-omics datasets together: bulk RNA-seq, single-cell RNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq
- Present results at conferences in Germany and abroad, then write them up for publication
Who can apply
- A Master’s in biochemistry, biology, human biology, molecular medicine, or another life science subject
- Bench time already logged in mammalian cell culture and in molecular techniques
- Real interest in gene regulation and in moving cancer research toward the clinic
- Willingness to handle mouse work, which the advert marks as desirable rather than essential
- Some appetite for genomic data analysis, since basic experience is welcome but not demanded
- Fluent English, written and spoken
Two things are easy to miss. The job falls under the German Infection Protection Act, so anyone hired has to show proof of measles immunity before starting. DKFZ also refuses applications sent by email, and it does not return anything posted.
What is offered
- A funded three-year place inside the DKFZ International PhD Program
- Doctoral-level pay, with the standard social benefits attached
- 30 days of leave a year, flexible hours, and scope for mobile or part-time working
- Core facilities open to you at DKFZ Heidelberg as well as LMU Munich
- Subsidised Germany job ticket
- Structured training and mentoring, plus the DKFZ Career Service
How to apply
- Have your CV and degree certificates ready. The advert does not list the required documents, so work from the fields on the portal form.
- Apply through the DKFZ online portal and quote reference 2026-0152.
- Submit before the closing date, because email and postal applications are not accepted.
- If you want to ask about the project first, the advert gives Dr. Lisa Fröhlich, +49 89 4400-43962, as the contact.
Deadline: 11 August 2026.
This suits someone who wants a mostly wet-lab PhD and is happy to pick up sequencing analysis on the way, rather than a bioinformatician looking for a dry project.” It is your call on the field, so do not publish it unless you agree with it.
Source: DKFZ Careers
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