Research Assistant/Laboratory Technician (70-100%)

Apostolova ( www.apostolovalab.com ), is looking for a highly motivated research assistant/laboratory technician (70-100%) to support our ongoing work on understanding how metabolites shape anti-leukemia immunity and the leukemic microenvironment.

Start date: 1 February 2027 or upon agreement.
Duration: 1 year, with possibility of extension and long-term perspective.

Join our community and help shape the future of biomedicine.

The successful candidate will support the research group and individual scientists with lab maintenance, experimental work, and biobanking.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Laboratory maintenance
• Preparation of common lab reagents
• Biobanking of human blood and bone marrow samples including documentation
• Technical support of PhD students and postdocs, including with cell culture and animal experiments

Experimental approaches in our group include in vivo leukemia and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation models, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics and lipidomics, functional genomics and CRISPR screens, spectral flow cytometry, cell sorting, bulk, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, and functional immune and metabolic assays. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to learn and independently apply several of these techniques.

Research environment

The Apostolova Lab is based at the Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, in a highly interactive environment spanning cancer biology, immunology, genomics, metabolism, and translational medicine. Our group combines mechanistic leukemia models with metabolism, immunology, and multi-omics to understand how leukemia cells adapt to therapeutic pressure and interact with the immune system. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to join a young and dynamic group conducting high-level research in hematology. The candidate will receive direct support from the lab manager and other scientists to set their mark in the lab and will be actively involved in the lab projects, providing multiple opportunities for training in flow cytometry, molecular biology, metabolism assays, and in vivo experimentation. Mentorship and respect for human values, including diversity, equity, and inclusiveness, are driving forces of our group.

• Training as a molecular biology research technician (lab technician) or M.Sc. (or equivalent) in biological sciences or related fields
• Proficient in basic lab techniques (cell culture, working in sterile conditions, PCR)
• Previous experience with processing human blood samples, animal work, molecular biology, flow cytometry, or metabolism assays will be advantageous
• Willingness to work with animal models
• Interest in hematology, tumor immunology, and metabolism
• Excellent communication skills (English mandatory, German advantageous) and the ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team

• A stimulating, interdisciplinary research environment focused on the role of metabolism in leukemia and the leukemia-immune crosstalk
• A dynamic and international team with a strong culture of collaboration and mutual support
• Opportunities for development of technical skills
• Close interaction with neighboring labs in hematology, cancer immunology, oncology, and metabolism
• Strong mentorship, including career development support
• Competitive academic environment at the University of Basel

Application / Contact

Please submit your application:

• a CV
• a brief statement describing previous research experience, scientific interests, and motivation for joining the lab
• contact details for one to two references who can provide a letter of recommendation upon request