Oslo universitetssykehus

Oslo universitetssykehus

Researcher Position — Antibody-Based Immunotherapy Against Invasive Fungal Diseases Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital About the Role A fully funded, three-year researcher position is available at the Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, supported by the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority. The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team at the forefront of immunotherapy research, working to develop antibody-based therapies targeting invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) — life-threatening infections caused by pathogens such as Candida, Aspergillus, and Cryptococcus spp. that remain a leading cause of mortality in immunocompromised patients. Antifungal defense depends on the coordinated action of T cells, B cells, and antibodies, yet how these arms cooperate — and why antibodies directed against the same fungal antigen can be protective, inert, or disease-enhancing — remains poorly understood. The laboratory addresses these questions by combining cutting-edge antibody engineering with in vivo infection models and advanced imaging technologies. This position focuses on engineering antibodies to strengthen immune defense against fungi and using this approach to understand how antibody responses can help restore protection in immunodeficiency states such as neutropenia or phagocyte dysfunction. The researcher will also contribute to developing antibody-based probes and imaging tools to detect, visualize, and quantify fungal infection and immune-cell engagement, and will work with the lab's B cell receptor (BCR) knock-in platform and matching T cell models to study how adaptive immune responses shape antifungal immunity. Oslo University Hospital is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of background. Responsibilities The researcher will contribute across three complementary and interconnected research areas: Engineering Antifungal Antibodies to Strengthen Immune Defense Engineer patient-derived and lead-candidate antibodies to enhance immune effector functions, using strategies such as affinity optimization and bispecific antibody formats Apply antibody engineering as a systematic tool to understand how antibody responses can restore fungal clearance in specific immunodeficiency states, including neutropenia and phagocyte dysfunction Characterize engineered antibody effects through functional immunological assays and in vivo fungal infection models Developing Antibody-Based Probes and Imaging Tools Generate engineered antibody reagents and reporter systems to detect, visualize, and quantify fungal targets and immune-cell engagement both in vitro and in vivo Apply advanced imaging approaches — including fluorescence- and bioluminescence-based readouts, high-resolution microscopy, and intravital imaging — to directly monitor infection dynamics and immune responses in tissue Defining the T and B Cell Basis of Antifungal Immunity Utilize the lab's BCR knock-in platform, together with matching T cell models, to generate mice carrying defined fungal-specific lymphocytes and track how B and T cell responses develop upon fungal antigen exposure Study how T cells, B cells, and antibodies together contribute to fungal clearance using intravital microscopy and knock-in mouse technology to generate and monitor antigen-specific lymphocytes in vivo Requirements We are seeking a highly motivated researcher with a strong academic foundation and a genuine passion for translational immunology research. The ideal candidate will hold a PhD in Immunology and demonstrate the following qualifications: A strong background in B cell or T cell immunology, germinal center biology, or antibody engineering Extensive experience with molecular biology techniques, including cloning, plasmid design, and CRISPR-Cas9 technology Proficiency in flow cytometry (FACS) for single-cell sorting and multi-color phenotyping Experience with BCR sequencing and bioinformatics pipelines Practical experience in preclinical research, including handling of transgenic animal models (FELASA C approval or equivalent is required); experience with knock-in mouse models is a distinct advantage Experience with advanced microscopy or imaging (e.g., confocal, intravital, or fluorescence-based assays) is an advantage Experience with host-pathogen (fungal) infection models is an advantage Personal Qualities