PhD

**Job Description**
This PhD position focuses on mapping how peripheral and circulating immune cells reflect early Parkinson’s disease (PD) biology, particularly in high-risk individuals and PD patients. The project aims to identify circulating immune signatures that anticipate disease onset and progression by profiling circulating immune cells in PD and prodromal cohorts, linking them to clinical readouts and α-synuclein reactivity. Utilizing cutting-edge single-cell and immune-profiling approaches alongside clinical phenotyping, the goal is to discover early biomarkers and patient-stratification tools. The role involves driving a clinical-translational PhD, including cohort coordination, sample processing, immune profiling, and data interpretation, working collaboratively with neurologists and VIB core facilities.

**Skills & Abilities**
• Strong interest in immunology and neurodegeneration.
• Experience with human samples and/or immunophenotyping tools is a plus (e.g., flow cytometry).
• Comfortable working at the clinic-lab interface.
• Excellent writing and communication in English.
• Dutch is an asset for patient-facing coordination.
• Motivated to work within an international project in Europe, including possible travelling.
• Proactive, rigorous, solution-oriented, and a critical thinker.
• Attention to quality, integrity, creativity, and cooperation.
• Teaching competences in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision / VIB.
• Research qualities in line with the faculty and university research policies / VIB.

**Qualifications**
Required Degree(s) in:
• Medical degree
• MSc in biomedical sciences, medicine, bioengineering, or related field, with excellent study results

**Experience**
Other:
• Experience with human samples and/or immunophenotyping tools (e.g., flow cytometry) is a plus.

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