Identification and Genetic Engineering of Cytotoxic Tissue NK Cells for Cellular Therapy
The Infectious Diseases 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
The project is based on the emerging role of tissue-resident and tissue-adapted immune cells in immune surveillance, chronic inflammation, viral persistence and cancer control. Among them, Natural Killer (NK) cells are promising candidates for immunotherapy due to their intrinsic cytotoxic activity against infected and transformed cells. However, current NK-cell therapies mainly rely on peripheral blood-derived NK cells, which often show limited persistence and tissue functionality. Recent advances in tissue immunology and single-cell technologies have revealed extensive heterogeneity among human tissue NK-cell populations, including subsets with enhanced cytotoxicity, adaptive-like features and tissue-residency programs. Nevertheless, their functional characterisation and therapeutic exploitation remain poorly understood.
Our laboratory combines human tissue models with advanced immunological and molecular approaches to identify and characterise tissue-associated NK-cell subsets with potent effector functions. The research integrates high-dimensional phenotyping, functional assays, ex vivo tissue explants and genetic engineering strategies, including CRISPR-based approaches, to develop next-generation NK-cell therapies for cancer and infectious diseases.
Objective
To identify and characterise human tissue-associated NK-cell subsets with enhanced cytotoxic and persistence capacities using advanced immunophenotyping, single-cell analyses and functional tissue models.
To define the molecular and functional programs underlying tissue adaptation and antitumor/antiviral activity of NK cells within human tissue microenvironments.
To develop and evaluate genetically engineered NK-cell products with improved therapeutic potential for next-generation cellular immunotherapy.
The candidate will work at the interface of tissue immunology, translational immunotherapy and cell engineering within a highly collaborative research environment
The candidate will benefit from a highly collaborative international environment and access to state-of-the-art core facilities, including flow cytometry, genomics, imaging and preclinical platforms.
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.
Fluency in English (spoken and written)
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).
Ability to work independently and collaboratively within an international multidisciplinary environment.
Experience in immunology, cellular therapy, tissue immunology and/or NK-cell biology.
Hands-on experience with flow cytometry, immune functional assays and mammalian cell culture.
Experience in molecular biology and/or genetic engineering techniques (e.g. CRISPR, viral transduction, gene editing approaches) will be highly valued.
Experience working with human samples and translational research models
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.
