Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Jena

The Leibniz Graduate School on Aging (LGSA) is a joint program of the Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) and the Friedrich Schiller University (FSU) in Jena. The School calls for applications for PhD positions.

The Leibniz Graduate School on Aging (LGSA) belongs to the Leibniz Association - a non-university research organization equivalent to the Max Planck Society and the Helmholtz Association.

At the Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), we investigate the fundamental biological processes that drive aging. Our research combines molecular, cellular, and systems-level approaches across a range of model organisms to understand how and why we age. As a PhD candidate at FLI, you’ll be part of an international and interdisciplinary environment where basic science meets the potential for long-term societal impact. Join us in uncovering the biology of aging and shaping the future of healthy longevity.

Training and research within the PhD program is interdisciplinary. Lecture series, seminars, journal clubs and courses as well as training in presentation skills and language classes complement the practical work. A thesis committee provides comprehensive support and the mentorship in the career development of the student. The program language is English.

We offer:

• a highly international research environment and state-of-the-art technology
• four years of full funding through the Leibniz Graduate School for Aging and Age-Related Diseases (LGSA)
• salary according to the German TV-L E13, 65% including health insurance and social insurance
• additional travel grants to support participation in national and international conferences
• flexible start with the option to rotate through up to three research groups before selecting your final project
• bench fees, ensuring access to all necessary research materials and infrastructure
• a family friendly working environment that provides a healthy work-life balance and company health management
• welcome service for internationals

Requirements:

Eligible are students that have obtained, or that will obtain in the next months an academic degree comparable to the master degree or diploma in Biology, Life Science, Biomedicine, or equivalent. Excellent written and spoken English skills are required.

Possible Projects:

• Clara Correia-Melo - Dissecting host-microbiome metabolism in aging
• Dennis de Bakker - Characterization and mitigation of blood–brain barrier dysfunction in short-lived turquoise killifish
• Melike Dönertas - Comparative Systems Biology of Aging
• Christoph Englert - The role of cellular senescence in lifespan determination and regeneration in the short-lived killifish Nothobranchius furzeri
• Maria Ermolaeva - Extreme weight-loss trajectories: implications for aging and healthspan
• Christoph Kaether - Novel Mechanisms of Microcephaly Driven by Early Secretory Pathway Proteins
• Janine Kirstein - Analysis of neuronal susceptibility towards proteotoxic stress with aging
• K.Lenhard Rudolph - Developmental influences on epigenetic changes that shape the pace of aging
• Dario Riccardo Valenzano - Evolutionary Origins, Diversification, and Activity of Transposable Elements During Aging
• Claudia Waskow - Mechanisms of T cell immune aging in mice - histone modification as driver of aging?
• Katarzyna Winek - Exploring the role of the microbiota–brain–body axis in ischemic stroke

For more information on all projects use the following link: Link to the projects

Further information on the Leibniz Graduate School on Aging (LGSA) can be found at https://lgsa.leibniz-fli.de/.

For the first step, please acquaint yourself with the application procedure on our website and fill in the application form in our online system. We invite applications from all nationalities. FLI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and promotes diversity. It aims to increase the proportion of underrepresented groups in case of equal suitability. All qualified persons, regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other classification protected by law will receive consideration for employment.

Deadline for submission is March 31, 2026.