Inducing CD8+T cell Tissue Resident Phenotypes
The Mucosal Immunology against Infection (MIM), Research Group at the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, is seeking an outstanding postdoctoral researcher interested in developing competitive applications for the next Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF).
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF)
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) are part of the Horizon Europe programme and support postdoctoral researchers in developing an original research and innovation project through international mobility.
The programme aims to strengthen researchers’ careers through excellent science, international collaboration and interdisciplinary experience, while fostering integration in both academic and non-academic environments. The MSCA-PF call is highly competitive and represents an excellent opportunity to attract international talent and support researchers in consolidating their scientific careers through an ambitious mobility-based fellowship.
The 2026 call closes on 09/09/2026 (17:00 Brussels time). For candidates applying to a European Postdoctoral Fellowship, the fellowship duration is from 12 to 24 months
Full eligibility details: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026
Background
CD8⁺ resident memory T cells ( CD8+TRM) permanently reside within tissues, where they continuously survey the local microenvironment and provide rapid protection against invading pathogens and malignant cells. Beyond their effector functions, CD8+TRM play key roles in maintaining tissue immune homeostasis. The differentiation of memory precursors into CD8+TRM is shaped by instructive cues derived from both secondary lymphoid organs and peripheral tissue niches. A detailed understanding of the mechanisms governing CD8+TRM development, establishment, and regulation in mucosal tissues will be critical to harnessing these cells for the elimination of persistent antigens and for enhancing vaccine-induced immune responses.
Objective
The primary objective of this proposal is to identify mechanisms that are key for ultimately inducing a CD8+TRM response to migrate and establish for long-term protection in multiple peripheral tissues and mucosa. Understanding how to best engage innate immunity at mucosal sites and how induce long-term CD8+TRM in these sites will be key for adjuvant and vaccine formulation or to potentiate these responses to eliminate persistent antigens located in these tissues.
Our Group
The Mucosal Immunology against Infection (MIM), is led by Dr. Meritxell Genescà, a senior researcher at the Infectious Disease dept. of the Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR). The main lines of research are:
Tissue HIV reservoir and new elimination strategies
STI and co-infections
Adjuvants and biomarkers of mucosal immunity
Tissue explant models to study host-pathogen interactions and immunity.
Conduct high‑quality research aligned with project and lab objectives, including rigorous data collection, analysis, and literature review.
Collaborate with senior researchers in designing experiments, developing research protocols, and contributing to publications, reports, and grant proposals.
Present research findings within the team and at scientific conferences or seminars.
Provide guidance to junior researchers or graduate students and supervise Bachelor’s and Master’s students when applicable.
Engage in continuous professional development and work with the technology transfer office to identify potential inventions and understand IP processes.
Applicants must hold a PhD degree or have successfully defended their thesis before the call deadline (09/09/2026)
Applicants must comply with the mobility rule, meaning they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work/studies) in the host country for more than 12 months during the 36 months prior to the call deadline.
Solid academic training in cellular and molecular immunology
Fluency in English (spoken and written)
Desirable:
PhD with a strong focus on tissue immunity, mucosal immunology, host-pathogen interactions, or infectious diseases
Prior exposure to translational or clinically oriented research environments
Competitive publication record appropriate to career stage
Applicants must have a maximum of 8 years of postdoctoral research experience by the call deadline. This means candidates are generally eligible if they obtained their PhD on or after 10/09/2018 (possible extensions may apply, e.g. parental leave or long-term illness).
Hands‑on experience with immunological techniques (e.g. flow cytometry, multiparametric phenotyping, cell culture, functional immune assays)
Experience working with primary human samples and/or tissue material
Strong experimental design, data analysis, and interpretation skills
Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a collaborative research environment
Motivation to conduct rigorous, hypothesis‑driven research at the interface of basic and translational science
Good analytical, writing and communicating skills.
Experience collaborating with clinicians or working within multidisciplinary consortia
Interest in mentoring students and contributing to lab and institutional scientific activities
Knowledge of infectious diseases, viral immunology, or co‑infection biology
Experience in data analyses, bioinformatics and statistics
Deadline to apply: 31-07-2026
VHIR embraces Equality and Diversity. As reflected in our values we work toward ensuring inclusion and equal opportunity in recruitment, hiring, training, and management for all staff within the organisation, regardless of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, age, functional diversity or ethnicity.
Information on Personal Data Protection:
Data Controller: Fundació Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca -VHIR-. Purpose: Personnel selection. Legal Basis: Your consent. Data retention period: One year. If you are selected, as long as the employment relationship is in force and legal responsibilities may arise. Data sharing: Does not occur, except for communications necessary to fulfill the purpose and those required by law to public and private bodies. Rights: You can access, rectify, delete, object to, and limit the processing of data, as well as request data portability where applicable, by contacting lopd@vhir.org DPO: dpd@ticsalutsocial.cat More information can be found here
Data Protection Authority: APDCAT
We are a public sector institution that promotes and develops the biomedical research, innovation and teaching at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, the hospital of Barcelona and the largest of Catalan Institute of Health (ICS). The members of our Board of Trustees are the Catalan Ministry of Health, the Catalan Ministry of Economy and Knowledge (we are a CERCA center), Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Bank of blood and tissues, the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), of which we are an accredited research institute, and the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), which together with VHIR is part of Accredited Institute of Campus Vall d’Hebron Institute by the Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII).
Since its creation in 1994, VHIR works to find solutions to the health problems of society, and contribute to spread them around the world. In more than 20 years we have achieved leadership in biomedical research at hospitals in our country, and we want to be recognised in 2020 as an excellent and competitive European Institute leader in clinical and traslational research linked to a university hospital.
In our institute are working more than 1,300 people, of which over 1,200 doing research and others, around 100, help to do it or transfer it to the society once made, whether in the form of projects, technology transfer and innovation, communication or fundraising, among others.
The best of our institution and its research staff is doing research to solve people’s health problems. Our task is not only basic or translational, we are leaders in clinical research. We have the beds of the hospital separated in less than 50 meters of laboratories and our patients will benefit from our research. In this we believe, and our efforts are focused on it. This is understood by industry leaders who are committed to our hospital, making it a world reference for its first clinical trials.
