The successful candidate will join a project funded by the National Science Centre (NCN) Sonata BIS grant (2022/46/E/NZ6/00131) and led by Dr hab. Marek Wagner. This position offers a unique opportunity to become part of a young research group investigating how innate immune cells shape tumor development and therapy responses, with a particular focus on melanoma, one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer.
Cancer remains a major global health challenge, and many malignancies arise in barrier tissues, including the skin. Innate immune cells are highly enriched in these tissues, yet their precise roles in cancer initiation, progression, and response to therapy remain incompletely understood. Our recent work (Wagner et al., Nature, 2025) suggests that the function of innate immune cells in cancer is not fixed, but instead critically depends on their interactions within the tumor microenvironment.
Building on these findings, our research aims to dissect the complex crosstalk between innate immune cells, malignant cells, and non-malignant stromal components using a broad range of interdisciplinary approaches, spanning immunology, cell biology, and cancer biology.
Our long-term goal is to identify novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as new therapeutic targets, that could ultimately improve cancer treatment.
This position is well suited for motivated scientists who are excited about fundamental discovery, translational relevance, and working in a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment.
