We invite applications for a 5 year, fully funded postdoctoral position within an international Horizon Europe EDCTP consortium. The project will evaluate a Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) vaccine in clinical cohorts in two African countries, with comprehensive analyses of safety, immune correlates of protection, and capacity building activities with our African partners.

Your Role

• Design, execute, and analyze neutralization and cross‑neutralization assays for CHIKV and related alphaviruses.
• Characterize antibody effector functions (e.g., ADCC, ADCP, complement activation).
• Express and purify viral proteins.
• Integrate serological and functional data (e.g., antigenic cartography).
• Collaborate closely with African and European partners; optional short research stays at partner institutions.
• Contribute to protocols, data management, publications, and mentoring of junior researchers.

Essential qualifications

• PhD in immunology, virology, or a related life science.
• Hands-on expertise with virus neutralization assays and/or antibody effector function assays.
• Proven experience in cell culture and immunological methods (e.g., ELISA, flow cytometry, Fc‑function assays).
• Strong data analysis skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication in English; ability to work independently and in teams.

Desirable qualifications

• Experience with alphaviruses or other arboviruses.
• BSL-2 proficiency; BSL-3 experience is a strong asset.
• Experience in molecular biology relevant to protein/antigen expression and purification.
• Experience with pseudovirus systems, antigenic chartography.
• Programming skills (R and/or Python); familiarity with reproducible workflows.
• Prior work in international, multi-site projects and an interest in capacity building.
• Experience with small‑animal models (e.g., mouse) for viral infection or antibody evaluation.

About the work environment

• A young, diverse, and collaborative team with researchers from multiple countries and disciplines.
• State-of-the-art virology and immunology platforms at the Institute of Virology Innsbruck, with to BSL-2 and BSL-3 facilities and access to animal facilities.
• Strong commitment to equitable partnerships and sustainable capacity building through the EDCTP framework.

What we offer

• Fully funded, 5‑year postdoctoral position within a high‑impact Horizon Europe EDCTP project.
• Opportunities for international collaboration and short research exchanges in Africa and Europe.
• Supportive mentorship, professional development, and a vibrant research community.
• Competitive salary according to the Medical University of Innsbruck pay scale; equal opportunity employer.