The University Hospital Düsseldorf (UKD) is the largest hospital in the state capital and one of the most important medical centers in North Rhine-Westphalia. The 9,300 employees at UKD and its subsidiaries are dedicated to ensuring that over 45,000 patients receive inpatient care and 270,000 receive outpatient care each year. The UKD stands for international excellence in patient care, research, and teaching, as well as for innovative and safe diagnostics, therapy, and prevention. Patients benefit from the intensive interdisciplinary collaboration among the 60 clinics and institutes. The university hospital’s particular strength lies in the close integration of clinical practice and research to ensure the safe application of new methods. The medicine of tomorrow is being developed at the UKD. Every day.

Our Department of Nephrology at the University Hospital Düsseldorf is seeking, as part of a DFG-funded project, a

PhD Student*in (m/w/d)




The position is part-time (65% of a full-time workweek) under the German Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act (WissZeitVG, Section 2(2)), initially limited to the 3-year project duration.

The Department of Nephrology at the University Hospital Düsseldorf is a globally recognized center for advanced research on kidney diseases. Our state-of-the-art program encompasses a wide range of projects and focuses on RNA biology in genetic kidney diseases and acute kidney injury, which we address through various collaborative initiatives. We use state-of-the-art methods to study RNA-protein interactions, RNA modifications, OMICS techniques, and in-house bioinformatics, combined with in vitro and in vivo models, with the goal of translating fundamental scientific findings into clinical applications.

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD student to join our dynamic team. This is a DFG-funded research project conducted in collaboration with the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin to better understand the role of RNA modifications and RNA-protein interactions in polycystic kidney disease (more information at https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/568817395). This is an exceptional opportunity for a student with a passion and interest in researching the molecular and cellular basis of a disease that accounts for 10% of all cases of kidney failure.
Conducting innovative research in line with the above-mentioned project.
Collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data using various OMICs techniques.
Conducting in vitro and in vivo experiments.
Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of researchers and clinicians.
Contributing to scientific publications and presenting results at conferences.
Assisting in the supervision of undergraduate, graduate, and medical students.
Actively participating in departmental seminars, workshops, and training sessions.
Coordinating projects with collaborative partners at the MDC, Berlin

Master’s degree in biology, biochemistry, or a related field.
Strong background in molecular and cell biology or biochemistry.
Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills.

A dynamic, collaborative, and international research environment.
Supervision and mentoring by leading experts in (experimental) nephrology and molecular biology.
The opportunity to learn and use state-of-the-art technologies in first-class facilities, including cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (eCLIP), scRNAseq, and RNA-interactome capture (RIC).
Cell culture models, organoids, mouse models, and human kidney tissue
Opportunities for academic and professional development.
Funding for the duration of the PhD program.
In-house/group bioinformatics expertise and training.
Interdisciplinary collaboration, including with colleagues at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin.

Remuneration is in accordance with the provisions of the TV-L (Collective Labor Agreement for the Public Sector in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia) in pay grade TV-L13, taking into account all prior service.

The emp...