How the T cell response upon vaccination changes with age

This Project forms part of ENLIGHT-TEN (European Network Linking Informatics and Genomics of Helper T cells), a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (ITN-ETN) funded in the framework of the HORIZON 2020 program. The mission of ENLIGHT-TEN is to provide cross-disciplinary training in T cell immunology and big data analysis in order to train a new generation of researchers to exploit the power of emerging technological platforms.

Objectives
Build an in silico model of the aged germinal centre from in vivo data
Generate in silico prediction for how perturbing the aged germinal centre can improve the size and quality of the response
Test the in silico predictions in vivo

Expected Results
in silico models of the aged germinal centre
Predictions of how to manipulate the germinal centre with age
Test how in silico predictions alter the response in vivo

Planned Secondments
Genomatix (Munich, Germany): analysis of RNA-seq data
Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (Braunschweig, Germany): in silico modelling

Requirements
Background/expertise in cellular and molecular immunology
Educated in one of the following diciplines: Theoretical Biology, Mathematical Biology, Computational Biology, Physics, Mathematics
Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary environment

Appointment details
Based on a full-time appointment, the duration of the appointment as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie ITN fellow will be for a maximum period of 3 years. The PhD student will become a member of the Graduate Programme at the Babraham Institute and the PhD will be awarded by the University of Cambridge. The student will be expected to present her/his work at the annual Babraham Conferences and to take part in the graduate training programme.

Eligibility
Applicants shall at the time of recruitment be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree. In addition, applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK, for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the recruitment date.

Further details can be found: http://www.enlight-ten.eu/