Offer Description:
We are looking for a highly motivated and proactive researcher who is able to work both independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team focussing on micronutritional therapy in patients undergoing rehabilitation for cardiac surgery. You have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to integrate multidisciplinary data. You have excellent communication skills for disseminating research findings. You have a collaborative mindset, with experience in interdisciplinary teams (e.g., clinicians, bioinformaticians, analytical chemists). The position includes intersectoral secondments in Universitätsklinikum Würzburg for 12 months. The project should result in the successful completion of a PhD thesis.
What will you do
RF6: Development and validation of POC measurements of inflammation for inflammatory subphenotyping of cardiac surgery patients
Duration: 36 months
Supervisor(s): Cecilia Fortugno, Kenneth Martin, Christian Stoppe University Hospital Würzburg (Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, UKW, www.ukw.de), Tilman Grune German Institute of Human Nutrition, University of Potsdam (DEUTSCHES INSTITUT FUER ERNAEHRUNGSFORSCHUNG POTSDAMREHBRUECKE)
Enrolment in a Doctoral Program: Universitätsklinikum Würzburg
Project description:
This PhD project will focus on identifying inflammation related biomarker combinations and data driven algorithms to classify cardiac surgery patient subphenotypes. Using advanced multiplex biomarker technologies, the project will support development of novel diagnostic tools to improve patient stratification and guide targeted micronutrient (MN) interventions. Randox has access to a broad and diverse biomarker multiplexing portfolio, including several novel biomarkers highly relevant to cardiac surgery and peri operative inflammation. The objectives will be:
- To develop multiplex inflammation biomarker POC measurements to subphenotype cardiac surgery patients
- To clinically validate and appropriately register the multiplex biochip product
- To identify cardiac surgery patient groups that would benefit from MN therapy intervention
- Commercialisation of products
What do we expect
We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate with a strong interest in translational biomedical research and diagnostic development to work within the Randox Clinical Immunoassay R&D Team to be responsible for translating novel diagnostics from concept through to clinical evaluation. The research project should result in a PhD thesis.
To be eligible for this position, applicants must meet the Marie Skłodowska-Curie admission requirements:
- You must not already hold a doctoral degree.
- You must comply with the MSCA mobility rule: you must not have resided in or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months during the three years immediately prior to recruitment.
In addition, you meet the following requirements and experience:
Essential criteria
- A Master’s degree in a relevant discipline such as biomedical science, biochemistry, immunology, molecular biology, bioengineering, data science, or a related field
- Strong interest in biomarker discovery, inflammation biology, and clinical research
- Experience or aptitude for quantitative data analysis and interpretation
- Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within multidisciplinary academic and industrial teams
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
The following experience and skills would be helpful, but not essential:
- Experience with multiplex biomarker technologies, immunoassays, or omics‑based approaches
- Familiarity with statistical or computational methods (e.g. R, Python, or similar), including multivariate or clustering approaches
- Interest in clinical translation, diagnostics, or regulated healthcare environments
- Prior exposure to cardiovascular, peri‑operative, or inflammatory disease research
Your working environment
The project will be hosted in an industrial R&D environment with established infrastructure for assay development, commercialisation, and regulatory approval, offering the PhD candidate direct exposure to translational research and diagnostic development. A planned secondment will support close clinical engagement and advance application of empirically derived algorithms to identify patient subphenotypes most likely to benefit from MN intervention. This will include investigation of functional MN status across different patient groups and its relationship to clinical outcomes using latent profile analysis and other advanced statistical approaches.
The BIO-MICRO project
This PhD project will focus on identifying inflammation‑related biomarker combinations and data‑driven algorithms to classify cardiac surgery patient subphenotypes. Using advanced multiplex biomarker technologies, the project will support development of novel diagnostic tools to improve patient stratification and guide targeted micronutrient (MN) interventions. Randox has access to a broad and diverse biomarker multiplexing portfolio, including several novel biomarkers highly relevant to cardiac surgery and peri‑operative inflammation.
The PhD will contribute to the development of clinically validated multiplex biochip products based on optimal biomarker combinations and classification algorithms. These tools will aim to identify cardiac surgery subphenotypes likely to benefit from MN therapy and support integration with analyser systems suitable for routine clinical use. Outputs from the project will also inform predictive enrichment strategies for future clinical trials.
This PhD offers training at the interface of biomarker discovery, data science, clinical research, and diagnostic translation, providing a strong foundation for careers in academia, industry, or clinical innovation.
What we offer
This PhD position is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) of the European Union’s Europe 2024 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 101226686. You will be appointed as full-time PhD student for 3 years at Randox.
Salary scale: Market competitive based on a 40-hour week, depending on qualifications and experience. Successful candidates will receive an attractive base-salary in accordance with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, for 36 months. The exact (net) salary depends on the EU-defined country correction factor, and on local tax regulations (for additional information see EU MSCA website). Exact salary will be confirmed upon appointment.
Doctoral candidates will receive a living allowance of €4010/month (correction factor to be applied per country, and local employer’s contribution and tax regulations). They will also benefit from a monthly mobility allowance of €710. In addition, a family monthly allowance of €660 (if applicable) is on offer to fellows with a spouse &/or child/children. Successful applicants are eligible for parental leave in compliance with the UK legislature.
In addition to your local PhD training, you will participate in a comprehensive and attractive educational programme specifically designed for the 13 Research Fellows within the BIO-MICRO consortium. The BIO-MICRO training programme offers a blended learning approach that combines monthly interactive live online sessions (60–90 minutes) with in-person workshops. The online curriculum covers essential topics in clinical research, including epidemiology, biostatistics, observational and clinical trial design, statistical computing, and scientific writing. In addition, four intensive three-day in-person workshops are dedicated to the development of both academic and transferable skills. In addition, all fellows will carry out 12 months of secondments and will be enabled to participate in relevant international scientific conferences. Together, this structured training programme is designed to optimally prepare you for a successful career as for research at the interface between discovery and clinical translation of novel diagnostics along with MN therapeutics.
If you don’t have the nationality of the UK, an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you will need a residence permit to live and work in the UK.
Apply here: GetGot™ Portal – Job Details – 26N/RFKM Research Fellow
