PhD Candidate in Paediatric Mucosal Immunology

Understanding mucosal immune protection against respiratory infections in children
Are you interested in understanding how the immune system protects children against respiratory infections?

Respiratory tract infections are among the most common causes of illness in children worldwide. While most children recover without complications, some experience frequent or severe infections. Why are certain children more susceptible than others, and how can we improve protection against respiratory pathogens?

Most immunological research and diagnostic approaches focus on immune responses measured in blood. Yet respiratory pathogens first encounter the immune system at the mucosal surfaces of the airways. Understanding immune protection at these surfaces may offer new opportunities for preventing and treating respiratory infections.

The Paediatric Respiratory Infection & Immunity Group at Radboudumc is looking for an enthusiastic and curious PhD candidate. Our ambition is to unravel the mechanisms underlying mucosal immune protection and translate these insights into new strategies to prevent respiratory infections in children.

Your research
We investigate how mucosal antibodies protect against respiratory pathogens and how local immune cells, including innate lymphoid cells, contribute to the generation and maintenance of these antibodies.

As a PhD candidate, you will contribute to understanding why mucosal antibody responses differ between children and how these differences relate to susceptibility to respiratory infections.

Your work will include:

• Characterising mucosal antibody responses in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections and healthy controls.
• Investigating the diversity and polyreactivity of mucosal IgA and IgG.
• Studying associations between mucosal immune characteristics and clinical susceptibility to respiratory infections.
• Exploring the cellular and tissue environments that support mucosal antibody production.
• Integrating immunological, clinical and, where applicable, multi-omics data to identify the mechanisms underlying mucosal immune protection.

You will work with well-characterised paediatric cohorts and biological samples collected through established research collaborations in the Netherlands, South Africa and the Dutch Caribbean.

The project combines clinically relevant research questions with advanced immunological approaches and offers opportunities to develop expertise in mucosal immunology, translational research and quantitative data analysis.

What we offer

• A PhD position within a funded research programme at Radboudumc.
• A stimulating and supportive multidisciplinary research environment.
• Close supervision and opportunities for scientific and professional development.
• Access to established clinical cohorts and advanced immunological research infrastructure.
• Opportunities for international collaboration and, where relevant, research visits to partner institutions.
• The opportunity to contribute to research connecting fundamental immunology with clinical challenges in paediatric respiratory infections.