Research group of Biofunctional Polymer Materials at the University of Heidelberg (Department of Applied Physical Chemistry) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Institute of Toxicology and Genetics) is searching for a PhD student. We are looking for a highly motivated chemist with interest in biology or a biologist with chemical background.

In our group we use surface, organic and polymer chemistries to create new biomaterials, functional and stimuli-responsive polymer surfaces as well as to develop new cell microarrays and microfluidic devices. In particular, we work with superhydrophobic/superhydrophilic surfaces and nano-porous polymer materials.

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The Department of Dermatology (Director and Chair Prof. Dr. Dirk Schadendorf) offers 2 PhD positions in Tumor Angiogenesis & Target Identification in the group „Tumor-vessel interaction and Anti-angiogenic therapy in melanoma“ (Dr. rer. nat. Iris Helfrich)

The concept of anti-angiogenic cancer therapy seems at the first look simple: destroying tumor vasculature and depriving the tumor of nutrients and oxygen will ultimately induce tumor regression, but the long-term survival benefit in patients of targeting the VEGF-signaling pathway has not been so affirmative as initially hoped. A key finding in this context is that VEGF-A/VEGFR-2 blockage leads transiently to vessel remodeling and normalization of the tumor vascular bed, as described by increased pericyte coverage of tumor vessels. We were able to show that the level of mural cell differentiation and stabilization of the vascular wall significantly contribute to the response towards anti-VEGF therapy in human melanoma and corresponding mouse models (Helfrich et al., Clin Cancer Res 2009, Helfrich et al., J Ex Med 2010). (more…)

The Heinrich Böll Foundation awards scholarships to German and foreign students in keeping with the guidelines provided by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA). The scholarship covers Bachelors, Masters, and PhD studies.

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Münster’s Graduate Program on Cell Dynamics and Disease (CEDAD) offers cutting edge science together with the newly founded International Max Planck Research School – Molecular Biomedicine (IMPRS-MBM). CEDAD and IMPRS-MBM – jointly run by the University of Münster and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine – offer integrative approaches to biomedical research with a strong emphasis on imaging.

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