PhD scholarship in Engineering Stem Cell-Derived T Cells for Tissue-Centric Cancer Targeting - DTU Health Tech

If you are passionate about new technologies for T cell therapies, this PhD position offers an extraordinary opportunity to pioneer groundbreaking immunotherapy solutions. 

You will join an innovative project at DTU Health Tech focused on improving the differentiation of T cells from inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), with the long-term ambition of developing off-the-shelf T cell therapies. This is your chance to collaborate within a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment, substantially advancing your scientific career while addressing one of healthcare's most urgent challenges.

Responsibilities
Your primary role will be to develop and validate nanoparticle-based biomaterials for interaction with T cells during the process of differentiation and design these to best mimic the ligand interactions that T cells meet during thymic development. You will collaborate closely within an interdisciplinary team at DTU Healthtech and engage actively with academic and clinical partners. 

Your primary tasks will be to:

• Select ligand for T cell interactions
• Construct and optimise nanoparticle for correct ligand presentation
• Test novel solutions in comparison to existing T cell differentiation protocols for generation of T cells from iPSCs.
• Genetic engineering of iPCS line to express CARs or TCRs or other targeting receptors
• Perform in vitro functional validation of iPCS-derived T cell product 
• Evaluate therapeutic efficacy using cancer cell line models
• Execute and analyse pre-clinical in vivo experiments.
• Document and communicate results through scientific publications and presentations. 

Required qualifications:

• MSc in biotechnology, immunology, Pharmaceutical design and Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience in molecular biology techniques and cell culture systems.
• Strong background in T cell immunology
• Experience with Flow Cytometry
• Experience with Stem cell culturing and iPCS maintenance.
• Preferable experience with iPCS to T cell differentiation protocols
• Demonstrated ability in scientific communication and collaboration. 

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

Approval and Enrolment 
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education. 

Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by Professor Sine Reker Hadrup. 

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms 
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. 

The period of employment is 3 years. Starting date: after mutual agreement, Full-time employee as PhD student. 

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information
Further information may be obtained from Professor Sine Reker Hadrup (SIRHA@DTU.DK). 

You can read more about DTU Health Tech at www.healthtech.dtu.dk/english.

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark. Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU. 

Application procedure 
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 15 April 2026 (23:59 Danish time). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae 
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

DTU Health Tech
DTU Health Tech engages in research, education, and innovation base on technical and natural science for the healthcare sector. The Healthcare sector is a globally expanding market with demands for the most advanced technological solutions. DTU Health Tech creates the foundation for companies to develop new and innovative services and products which benefit people and create value for society. DTU Health Techs expertise spans from imaging and biosensor techniques, across digital health and biological modelling, to biopharma technologies. The department has a scientific staff of about 210 persons, 140 PhD students and a technical/administrative support staff of about 160 persons, of which a large majority contributes to our research infrastructure and related commercial activities. 

DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829
DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.