Naturwissenschaftlicher Doktorand / PhD position (m/f/d) “CNS border-associated immune cells mediate gut-brain crosstalk in Parkinson’s Disease”

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The research group “Systemic immunology of neurodegenerative diseases” of Patrick Süß is seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate (65% position, starting as soon as possible). The position is embedded in the project “CNS border-associated immune cells mediate gut-brain crosstalk in Parkinson’s Disease”.

The overarching aim of this project is to investigate CNS borders, particularly the meninges and the perivascular niche, in sensing, processing, and propagating microbial and inflammatory signals from the gut to contribute to the onset and progression of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). The position is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR).

Project background:

Disease mechanisms underlying PD remain insufficiently understood and causal therapies are lacking. Peripheral inflammation, particularly in the gut, was shown to foster PD development, yet how gut-derived inflammation is propagated across central nervous system (CNS) borders is unknown. In this project, we will determine the role of resident and blood-derived myeloid cells in meningeal and perivascular immune-brain interfaces as mediators of gut-immune-brain communication in PD by in-depth structural analysis and integrated -omics approaches with the aim to identify novel targets for immunomedicine at highly specialized and strategically localized immune-brain interfaces.