Phd Student In Mutagenic Chemotherapy Driving Treatment Resistance

Reference number: 2026-0126

• München
• Full-time
• DKTK partner site Munich - Department of Translational Oncology at the LMU Klinikum

The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) is one of Europe’s largest cancer research centers. “Research for a life without cancer" is the mission of our world-class scientists and all our team members.

The DKFZ is a place where the brightest minds pursue bold ideas and seek answers to pioneering scientific questions through collaboration, innovation, and exploration across many disciplines. We provide a dynamic environment which empowers excellence with state-of-the-art technologies, cutting edge infrastructure, and a global scientific network.

Contribute your knowledge, vision, and dedication to create a space where scientific discovery in cancer research is transformed into benefits for human health.

Together with selected university partner sites, the DKFZ has established the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK). The alliance between the DKFZ as the core center and the university partner sites in Berlin, Dresden, Essen/Düsseldorf, Frankfurt/Mainz, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Munich, and Tübingen operates joint translation centers at the University Medical Centers of each of the selected partner sites. The DKTK contributes significantly to filling the translational gap between basic and clinical cancer research, thereby developing new strategies for personalized oncology in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. DKTK conducts transformative translational cancer research, educates the next generation of translation-oriented medical and clinical scientists and establishes strong pipelines towards clinical cancer research and the economy.

We are seeking for the Cancer Systems Biology lab of Dr. Craig Anderson at the DKTK partner site Munich a

From cigarette smoke and UV radiation, to chemotherapeutic cancer treatments, the cells in our bodies are continuously under siege from exogenous agents that damage our DNA. The molecular mechanisms that repair and tolerate this damage are also responsible for the mutations that drive disease progression and therapy resistance. How and when these mutational processes act remains poorly understood. This is where you come in.

The Cancer Systems Biology lab of Dr. Craig Anderson is searching for an enthusiastic PhD student, starting in September 2026, to play a principal role in understanding how DNA damage leads to mutational heterogeneity across our bodies and over the course of our lives.

The lab is situated in the Department of Translational Oncology at the LMU Klinikum, Munich.
Munich itself is a beautiful and centrally located city, offering all the trappings of a modern lifestyle. It provides easy access to other cities and green spaces across the region, regularly scoring highly across indices for happiness and quality of life.


Relevant work:
Anderson CJ et al. Strand-resolved mutagenicity of DNA damage and repair. 2024. Nature 630: 744. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07490-1
Nicholson MD, Anderson CJ, et al. DNA lesion bypass and the stochastic dynamics of transcription coupled repair. 2024. PNAS 121: 20. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2403871121
Aitken SJ, Anderson CJ, et al. Pervasive lesion segregation shapes cancer genome evolution. 2020. Nature, 582: 7815. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2435-1

Your Tasks

Dr. Anderson has been a central figure in the discovery that DNA damage is heritable, and you’ll build on this work by using molecular methods to unravel the forces that modulate mutagenesis across the genome of mutagen-exposed cells. You’ll be introduced to advanced statistical and computational methods for analyzing the data you create. Your findings will be a vital part of understanding the evolution of cancer drug resistance in cell models and in patients.

Your Profile

About you:

• You’re excited about our research — driven to take a deep dive into the unknown.
• You’re extremely capable, using creativity and ingenuity to rise to new challenges.
• You’ve got an excellent MSc degree in cancer genetics, molecular biology, or similar.
• You have laboratory experience and an interest in developing your bioinformatic skills.

Requirements: The position requires an excellent understanding of molecular biology, with demonstrable experience in custom sequence library preparation and mammalian cell culture. You must be capable of working independently and confidently managing your own day-to-day research, including laboratory experiments and bioinformatic analyses, concurrently. You should be able to show evidence of working collaboratively, with respect for diversity among your colleagues and the institutional positions held. The working language in the lab is English, and you must have an outstanding ability to communicate with your colleagues in the department. You also need to communicate your research clearly through publication, in meetings, with collaborators and in presentations at national and international conferences. You should see the value in working safely and in maintaining accurate records. Above all, you need to have a can-do attitude driving you to learn, adapt, and succeed.

Desirable skills or are willing to learn include: Single-cell sequencing; toxicant exposure; short read sequencing; computational and statistical analyses; a good mechanistic understanding of how cells replicate their DNA and respond to DNA damage.

To apply, please provide a CV and a letter of motivation.

We Offer

Are you interested?

Then become part of the DKFZ and join us in contributing to a life without cancer!