We have discovered that vascular/immunomodulating therapies can transform immunosuppressive tumor endothelial cells into immune-stimulating high-endothelial venules (HEV) that due to their specific functions, lead to substantial T and B cell infiltrates, reminiscent of tertiary-lymphoid structures (TLSs) (Allen E. et al Sci Transl Med 2017, Hua et al. Cancer Cell 2022; Guelfi et al. Nat Rev Cancer 2024). Congruently, HEV and TLS formation is associated with good prognosis and survival benefits in cancer while it worsens outcomes in chronic inflammation, supporting the notion that HEV/TLS structures are active centers of an immune response (Vella et al. Cancer Cell 2023). However, the underlying mechanisms of TLS formation, immune activity, and dependence on the vascular system remain largely unknown.

Can you use your strong expertise in immunology and/or vascular biology to unravel the vascular immune crosstalk for the generation and functional maturation of TLSs? Can you determine how the TLS vasculature forms immune cell niches that propagate TLS formation and maturation? Can you team up with us to therapeutically induce TLS in cancer to boost an immune response or abolish them in chronic inflammation/autoimmune diseases to cease the immune overreaction? If these projects interest you, you will enjoy working with a multidisciplinary team in a dynamic, stimulating working environment and close collaboration with clinical and industrial partners.

You will work with the team of Prof. Gabriele Bergers at the VIB branch Center for Cancer Biology (CCB) at KU Leuven/Campus Gasthuisberg in Leuven (Belgium) (https://bergerslab.sites.vib.be/en ). The VIB is a top research institute for life sciences and is considered the Belgian EMBL. The VIB-CCB entails 12 leading research groups in (immuno-)oncology, the tumor microenvironment, genetics/multi-omics, molecular biology, and translational research with core facilities and excellence centers that are well-equipped with the newest state-of-the-art technologies relating to single-cell/spatial transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, multiplex profiling, and FACS.

How to apply?

If you want to make the journey with us to decipher TLS regulation and function, then we would like to hear from you.

Please complete the online application procedure and include:

• - A detailed CV, including a list of your scientific publications and achievements
• - A detailed cover letter describing your motivation
• - The contact information of 3 referees