‘Forschungs­ge­sell­schaft für Arbeits­phy­sio­logie und Arbeits­schutz e.V. Dortmund’ (legal entity name) is a research insti­tution insti­tu­tio­nally funded by the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the sponsor of ’Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund’ (IfADo). IfADo explores the risks and poten­tials of modern work in inter­di­sci­plinary approaches. We combine the disci­plines of Ergonomics, Immunology, Toxicology, Psychology and Neuro­sci­ences.

In the Department of Immunology at the Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo) we offer

a PhD Position on the Gut-Brain-Axis working with human cohorts (f/m/d) (65%)

The position is available immediately and limited to a period of 3 years.

Your task:

The applicant will be part of a research project in the Department of Immunology (Dr. Bloemendaal) inves­ti­gating the role of the gut micro­biota in the gut-immune-brain-axis, speci­fi­cally focusing on mental health, major depressive disorder and treatment response.

Your Quali­fi­ca­tions:

• Master´s degree in one of the following subjects: psychology, medicine, micro­biology, biome­dical science, bioin­for­matics or related fields
• Native speaker or excellent command of German and English
• Experience in programming (in R) or motivation to learn and perform bioin­for­matic analyses of bacterial DNA (16S rRNA and shotgun metage­nomic data) in relation to health outcomes
• Ability to liaise between disci­plines, bridging between medical infra­structure and clinical as well as basic research
• Experience or interest in data analysis of patient cohorts and/or wet lab micro­biology techniques (e.g. batch fermen­tation or in vitro culturing) are considered a plus
• The applicant should be able to work independently, translate research findings into scien­tific papers and present data at inter­na­tional confe­rences

We offer:

• A part-time position with currently 25,89 hours per week
• Remune­ration according to the collective agreement for the public service of the federal states (position value EG 13 TV‑L. The classi­fi­cation depends on the collective agreement and personal requi­re­ments)
• All social benefits provided by working for the public service: e.g. an annual bonus, payment of benefits
• Flexible working time models for the compa­ti­bility of family and career
• An exciting project designed to identify targe­table microbes in the context of the gut-brain-axis. You will work on the forefront of inter­di­sci­plinary research, contri­buting to the develo­pment of inter­ven­tions and co-treat­­­ments aimed at supporting mental health and improved treatment outcomes (super­vision: Dr. Bloemendaal). You will be part of a unique team of inter­di­sci­plinary resear­chers, with access to an inter­na­tional network in fields of psycho-neuro-immunology and the gut-brain-axis. The Department of Immunology has modern laboratory and office space as well as material resources at its disposal.
• You will have access to existing human cohorts as well as designing and setting-up your own clinical cohort.
• Profes­sional develo­pment based on your interest is possible, in the form of courses and training on-the-job.
• An interesting, versatile position that can be shaped by your personal commitment and interest.

The IfADo promotes profes­sional equality for all genders and is certified accor­dingly.

We value diversity and therefore welcome all appli­ca­tions — regardless of gender, disability, natio­nality or ethnic and social origin. Where appro­priate, there is also the possi­bility of part-time work.

General infor­mation about the IfADo can be found at www.ifado.de

If you have any questions, please contact us: Dr. Mirjam Bloemendaal, E‑Mail: bloemendaal@ifado.de

Interested?

Then please send your appli­cation documents (CV, letter of motivation, copy of graduation certi­fi­cates (university, school), (all in one single pdf!) including the reference code “Doktorand GutBrain 01_2025”until the 12.01.2026 preferably by mail to bewerbung@ifado.de.

Dortmund, 16^th of December 2025

(*We ask you to submit appli­cation documents only in copies and not in folders as the documents are not returned. These will be destroyed by privacy after expiration of the retention period.)

Are you a researcher outside Germany with a passion for data science? Have you considered a PhD in an inter­di­sci­plinary field to advance your career?

DASHH offers full-time GSSP scholar­ships for individual inter­di­sci­plinary PhD projects with a focus on struc­tural biology and computer science or applied mathe­matics in Hamburg, Germany. Together with two principal inves­ti­gators of our graduate school, you can develop an individual project proposal and apply for a three-year scholarship, which can be extended to up to four years.

Curious and want to learn more? Check the DASHH website at https://www.dashh.org/application/gssp_scholarships/index_eng.html.

The deadline for appli­ca­tions is March 1st, 2026.