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The position with the project focus “Patient-Derived Thyroid Cancer Organoids from Advanced Thyroid cancers as a Platform to Guide Precision Therapy” is to be filled in the Biomedical Research Laboratory in Medical Clinic 1 by March 1, 2026.
The Biomedical Research Laboratory of the Medical Clinic 1 at the University Hospital Frankfurt is headed by Prof. Angela Brieger. The Medical Clinic 1 is directed by Prof. Stefan Zeuzem. The advised research project is led by Dr. Viktoria Köhler, whose research focuses on the molecular and clinical aspects of advanced thy-roid cancer.
Advances in genomic profiling have identified key driver alterations in thyroid cancer; however, translating these molecular insights into individualized therapeutic strategies remains a significant challenge. Patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs) have emerged as a powerful platform for translational cancer research, faithfully recapitulating histopathological architecture as well as essential genomic features relevant for bio-logical studies and clinical decision-making.
Drug screening in PDTOs enables systematic evaluation of approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors, investiga-tional compounds, and rational drug combinations. Nevertheless, current thyroid cancer organoid models are predominantly epithelial and lack essential components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), including can-cer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), immune cell populations, extracellular matrix complexity, and vascular structures. Incorporating TME elements and vascular networks through co-culture approaches and microfluid-ic organ-on-chip technologies represents a promising next-generation strategy to enhance physiological relevance.
As part of the advertised PhD project, the candidate will establish and characterize a comprehensive PDTO biobank. Additional responsibilities include performing high-throughput drug sensitivity screening to identify patient-specific therapeutic vulnerabilities, integrating TME components, vascularization, and tissue dynamics into organoid models, and correlating organoid drug responses with corresponding clinical outcomes.
The position is limited to 12 months and involves 26 hours of work per week.
Your Role:
Main techniques and analysis for this project are:
- Cultivation, transfection, and analysis of human cell lines
- Establishment, cultivation, and maintenance of PDTOs and 3D co-culture systems
- Protein and nucleic acid isolation from cell tissue, patient tissue, and organoids
- Molecular analyses including qPCR, sequenc-ing-based assays, and western blot analysis
- Histological and immunohistochemical staining
- Development and optimization of drug screening assays
- Quantification and analysis of imaging da-tasets, organoid growth kinetics, and treatment responses
- Statistical analysis and evaluation
