As a joint venture of the University of Basel and the University Hospitals Basel, the Department of Biomedicine (DBM) brings together basic and clinical scientists to advance the understanding of health and disease.
We are home to more than 67 research groups and over 800 employees across six locations in the heart of Basel. Our collaborative and international environment fosters innovation, excellence, and impactful research.
The Experimental Virology, led by Prof. Daniel Pinschewer, is looking for two PhD students.
Join our community and help shape the future of biomedicine.
The laboratory solicits applications for two PhD students centered around protective B cell immunity against Lassa virus (LASV). LASV is endemic in West Africa and causes several thousand cases of fatal hemorrhagic fever each year but a vaccine for clinical use remains unavailable.
Our research group operates on the basis of strong extramural funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the European Union in conjunction with generous core funding and infrastructure support from the University of Basel.
Select references:
Abreu-Mota, T. et al. B cell immunity to the Lassa virus glycoprotein is a correlate of vaccination-induced virus control in mice. Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org:10.1038/s41467-026-71472-2
Kastner, A. L. et al. Durable lymphocyte subset elimination upon a single dose of AAV-delivered depletion antibody dissects immune control of chronic viral infection. Immunity 58, 481-498 e410 (2025). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.immuni.2024.11.021
Ciancaglini, M. et al. mRNA prime-boost vaccination promotes clonal continuity in germinal center reactions and broadens SARS-CoV-2 variant coverage. Mol Ther (2025). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.ymthe.2025.08.008
Martin, K. et al. Perinatal infection elicits clonally restricted T follicular helper cell responses that drive antibody-mediated viral control. Immunity 59, 1363-1380 e1367 (2026). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.immuni.2026.03.004
