Doctoral Researcher (MSCA), Generation and tracking of armed rADV with imaging reporter genes
About this role
ImmunoViroTherapy Lab at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, invites applications for the position of a
DOCTORAL RESEARCHER (Generation and tracking of armed rADV with imaging reporter genes, DC 1 in MSCA-DN INTRABRAIN)
for a full-time position funded for three years. Earliest starting date is in September 2026, with the exact starting date negotiable after selection.
Position Description
Prof. Vincenzo Cerullo's lab is seeking a PhD student in engineering and in vivo tracking of armed reporter oncolytic viruses. The selected PhD candidate will obtain degree at the University of Helsinki. The PhD position consists of studies at Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki (UH, Finland) and secondments at consortium partner organisations in Italy and England. The position is funded by the Doctoral Network (DN) project "INTRABRAIN" of the Horizon-Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
The topics of the PhD candidate: The doctoral candidate will focus on engineering advanced recombinant oncolytic adenoviruses (rADVs) for glioblastoma therapy by incorporating therapeutic genes such as IL-12 or IL-2, along with imaging reporter genes to enable real-time tracking of viral activity. Their work will include designing and constructing these viral vectors, as well as validating their infectivity, biodistribution, and imaging performance in preclinical models. Through secondments at University of Naples Federico II , University of Glasgow and University of Rome Tor Vergata , the candidate will gain expertise in glioblastoma imaging in patient-derived models, neurostimulation and advanced imaging technologies such as ultrasound and MRI. Additionally, they will address potential limitations in imaging sensitivity by optimizing detection methods and applying complementary histological approaches to ensure accurate evaluation of viral distribution.
INTRABRAIN Project Description
The INTRABRAIN project is an ambitious and highly innovative research and training