Project title: Monitoring CAR T-cell therapy in patients with B-cell malignancies
The Department of microbiology and immunology is located at the Institute of Biomedicine at the Faculty of Medicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.
General information about being a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg can be found on the university's doctoral student pages: https://www.gu.se/en/doctoral-studies
Duties
The PhD education in Medical Science comprises carrying out a scientific project and completing at least 30 credits of courses at third-cycle level. The doctoral student must also write a scientific compilation thesis or monograph corresponding to at least 120 credits. For more information about third-cycle studies at Sahlgrenska Academy, see https://www.gu.se/en/sahlgrenska-akademin/doctoral-studies
Doctoral studies comprises four years of full-time study, and leads to a doctoral degree.
As part of your employment as a doctoral student, you may have departmental duties corresponding to up to 20 % of full-time employment, distributed throughout your study period, and result in a corresponding extension of the studies. Departmental duties usually consist of teaching at first- and second-cycle levels, but may also include research and administration.
Project description: Cellular immunotherapies such as CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy have improved treatment options for patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies. Although some patients achieve durable remissions, treatment responses vary and serious adverse events, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), remain common. As the use of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) expands, clinically applicable monitoring strategies are needed to support treatment decisions and improve patient safety. This doctoral project aims to characterize CD19 CAR T-cells longitudinally in patients with B-cell malignancies and establish monitoring strategies for future ATMP workflows, including point-of-care CD19 CAR T-cell manufacturing. The project is based on an ongoing prospective cohort of patients treated with CD19 CAR T-cells. Blood samples collected at multiple time points after infusion will be used to investigate CAR T-cell expansion, persistence, phenotype and function. The role of neutrophils and their potential influence on CAR T-cell expansion and effector function will also be studied. Laboratory findings will be integrated with clinical data to investigate associations with treatment response, durable remission, relapse and treatment-related toxicities. The doctoral student will use multiparameter and spectral flow cytometry, functional T-cell assays, cytokine analyses and cell culture. The project also includes development and validation of clinically relevant assays for future CAR T-cell manufacturing and quality-control workflows.
The research is conducted in a translational environment, in close collaboration with the Department of Hematology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and research groups at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg.
Experience or interest in immunology, flow cytometry, cell culture, advanced laboratory diagnostics or cell therapies is meritorious. The doctoral student will be part of BioLabX, Sweden's national research school in biomedical laboratory science.
Eligibility
Doctoral education requires general eligibility and, where appropriate, specific eligibility as set out in the general syllabus for the subject.
The general eligibility requirements for doctoral studies are:
- having completed a degree at second-cycle level, or
- the fulfilment of course requirements totalling at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits must be at second-cycle level, or
- the acquisition of equivalent knowledge in some other way, either in Sweden or abroad.
Specific entry requirements for this subject, according to the general syllabus, are: having completed the English B/6 course or is considered to have acquired equivalent knowledge through previous studies
Assessment criteria
The selection of applicants who meet the basic and specific eligibility requirements will be based on the ability to assimilate the doctoral studies. The assessment shall attach particular importance to documented qualifications for:
- specific knowledge and skills within the subject area and related research fields
- experience of scientific theory and relevant research methodology
- scientific analysis and presentation verified through an academic paper, degree project, scientific journals or the like.
Admission and employment
Once you have been admitted to doctoral studies, you will be employed as a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg.
The provisions for employment as a doctoral student can be found in ordinance SFS 1993:100.
Initial employment as a doctoral student may apply for a maximum of one year, and may be renewed by a maximum of two years at a time.
A doctoral student may be employed as a doctoral student for a maximum of eight years, but the total period of employment may not be longer than the equivalent of full-time education at doctoral level for four years.
Location: Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Biomedicine, Department of microbiology and immunology. Extent: 100%. First day of employment: as agreed.
The University applies a local agreement on salaries for doctoral students.
Please note, doctoral studies at the institute of Biomedicine require physical presence to conduct the studies. If the admitted applicant needs a residence permit for higher education to pursue studies in Sweden, the institute has the right to revoke the admission decision if the applicant cannot present a valid residence permit no later than at the start of the studies.
Contact information
For more information about the project please contact the project supervisor, Sukanya Raghavan, Institute of Biomedicine, e-mail: sukanya.raghavan@microbio.gu.se
Unions
Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande
Application
You can apply to be admitted to doctoral education via the University of Gothenburg's recruitment portal.
It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per this notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline.
You must include the following, in pdf format
- Personal letter
- CV
- Diploma and transcripts showing that you meet with the general entry requirement
- Proof of completion of English 6 course or the acquired equivalent knowledge through previous studies
If your degree is from a university outside of Sweden, make sure that you attach a diploma and full transcripts that makes assessing your degree easier.
For information on what you need to submit in order to fulfill the English language requirement see https://www.universityadmissions.se/en/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/
Applications must be received by: 2026-10-26
Information for International Applicants
Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step. Thus, to give you a general idea of what we and Gothenburg have to offer in terms of benefits and life in general for you and your family/spouse/partner please visit: https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/welcome-services https://www.movetogothenburg.com/
The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.
Salaries are set individually at the University.