Open PhD Student Position – Single-cell & Spatial Omics in Kidney Adaptation (ERC-funded)

Apr 20, 2026
BALZER LAB is hiring a PhD student

Employer
Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), and Kiel University (CAU)

Location
Kiel, Germany

Salary
TV-L E13 (65%); ~37,000/year + full social security coverage (healthcare, pension, paid leave)

Contract duration
3 years

Closing date
June 1, 2026

We are seeking a PhD student to join the ERC Starting Grant project SINGuLAR (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101219388) at the Balzer Lab (https://balzer-lab.org), investigating how human kidneys adapt to organ loss.

Our lab studies how human kidneys regenerate after organ loss using cutting-edge single-cell and translational approaches. Rather than focusing on injury, this project investigates pure adaptation in living kidney donors—a unique human model in which individuals lose 50% of kidney mass yet show remarkable compensatory growth.

You will contribute to building the first longitudinal single-cell and spatial atlas of human kidney adaptation, combining single-cell RNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, and single-cell ATAC-seq with deeply phenotyped clinical cohorts. In this role, you will support the development and application of experimental and computational workflows, working closely with a postdoctoral researcher and other team members. You will be involved in generating and analyzing multi-omic datasets and contributing to collaborative projects with clinicians and interdisciplinary partners, with increasing independence over the course of your PhD.

Requirements

We are looking for candidates with a strong interest in single-cell and/or spatial omics and a willingness to develop skills in bioinformatics analysis and data integration.

  • Master’s degree (or equivalent) in bioinformatics, computational biology, genomics, molecular biology, or a related field
  • Basic experience or strong interest in single-cell data analysis (e.g., scRNA-seq; spatial or epigenomics is a strong plus)
  • Programming skills in R and/or Python
  • Interest in or willingness to engage in wet-lab work (single-cell workflows)
  • Ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary environment, with growing independence over time
  • Excellent English communication skills

What We Offer

  • A **3-year PhD position (TV-L E13, 65%, ~37,000 EUR/year) within an ERC Starting Grant-funded position
  • Extensive social benefits (health insurance, pension scheme, paid leave, and strong employee protections typical of the German public sector)
  • A high-risk/high-reward project addressing a fundamental question in human biology
  • Access to state-of-the-art single-cell and spatial omics technologies
  • A collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment bridging clinic and computation
  • Structured supervision and training, with strong support for skill development, publications, and career progression

Environment

You will work at the interface of Kiel University (CAU) and the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), one of Germany’s leading academic medical centers. The research environment includes close collaboration with the Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (IKMB) and the Competence Centre for Genomic Analysis (CCGA), providing access to cutting-edge genomics infrastructure and expertise. Kiel hosts multiple Excellence Clusters (including Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation) and Collaborative Research Centers (SFBs), offering a highly interactive ecosystem connecting basic science, computation, and clinical research.

You love science and the outdoors? This place is for you! Kiel is a vibrant coastal city on the Baltic Sea, known as one of Germany’s premier sailing hubs, with immediate access to sailing, kayaking, swimming, and waterfront living. The surrounding region offers extensive cycling routes, running trails, and green spaces. With a welcoming international community, short commutes, and a high quality of life, Kiel combines a dynamic academic environment with a relaxed, nature-oriented lifestyle.

Application

If you are passionate about understanding and ultimately harnessing the mechanisms of human kidney adaptation, we would love to hear from you.

Please send your CV, letter of motivation, and contact details of two references to Prof. Michael S. Balzer (MichaelSoeren.Balzer@uksh.de).