The Division Neuropediatric, Metabolism and Social Pediatric Center (Prof. Dr. Sebahattin Cirak) at the Childrens University Hospital Ulm (Director: Prof. Dr. Miriam Erlacher) is searching immediately for a

Doctoral Researcher / PhD Candidate (f/m/d)
Part-time (65%)

The University Hospital Ulm and its employees stand for a modern and high quality patient care, excellent university research and medical education focused on the future as well as apprenticeships in attractive professional fields. The requirements for this are qualified and committed employees.

To support the establishment of the German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ) at the Ulm site (Direktor: Prof. Debatin) within our Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (Medical Director: Prof. Erlacher), we are looking to fill the above position for the Laboratory for Functional Genomics and Translational Myology (Head: Prof. Dr. Sebahattin Cirak) at the earliest possible date.

Background
Ulm University Hospital stands for modern, high-quality patient care, excellent research, and forward-looking medical education and training. This requires qualified and dedicated staff.
Childhood and adolescence are key phases of life in which the foundations for lifelong health are laid. To provide children and adolescents in every developmental stage with the best possible, state-of-the-art disease recognition and medical care, the build-up phase of the German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), starts in mid-2024 after many years of planning and development. For this newest of the German Centers for Health Research (DZG), seven university sites together with non-university partner institutions in Germany were selected competitively based on excellence.
The Ulm site focuses on metabolism, hormones and obesity, the normal and disturbed development of the immune system, as well as neuropsychiatric disorders and their immunometabolic basis. It has established expertise in molecular medicine as well as psychological, digital and ethical aspects of these focus areas.
We offer exciting career opportunities at the forefront of pediatric research in Germany. With your contribution, you can help shape something new from the very beginning and drive meaningful improvements for affected patients and the healthy development of future generations.

Your responsibilities:

• The research project within the DZKJ addresses neurodegenerative diseases through innovative approaches to genetic elucidation and disease modelling.
• A focus is placed on exome-negative cases to uncover previously unknown genetic causes.
• The goal is to close the diagnostic gap in neurodegenerative diseases with monogenic inheritance. A further focus lies on generating disease-specific models using technologies such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and neuronal stem cells (NSCs).
• These models enable detailed studies of pathomechanisms and the development of neuronal as well as neuromuscular organoids that are relevant for therapeutic approaches.

What we offer:

• Attractive salary according to the collective wage agreement for public service employees of the German federal states (TV-L)
• Annual special payment
• Opportunity to pursue a doctorate/PhD
• Intensive scientific exchange with other leading sites in pediatric research in Germany, embedded in an international network
• A wide range of continuing education and professional development opportunities
• A diverse, future-oriented and interdisciplinary role
• Collegial collaboration within a committed team
• Structured onboarding and excellent supervision by experienced scientists
• Family-friendly services (e.g., on-site daycare/kindergarten, staff housing, and subsidy for public transport)
• Workplace health promotion (e.g., cooperation with fitness studios)
• A broad range of corporate benefits/discount programmes

Your profile:

• Master’s degree in a biomedical field with knowledge of molecular biology methods required for basic research (the doctorate includes admission to the DZKJ Academy and the option to join the structured doctoral programme of the International Graduate School in Molecular Medicine Ulm).
• Responsible, team-oriented, goal-driven and reliable
• Team spirit and flexibility
• Willingness to familiarize yourself with new areas of work
• Loyalty and a high level of commitment/performance motivation

Vertragsart: limited
Beschäftigungsart: part-time
Bewerbung bis: 15.02.2026

Are you interested?

Application
If you are interested, we look forward to receiving your informative application. Please using the reference "DZKJ-CNS-33”.

For questions please contact:
Prof. Cirak
Tel. 49-(0)731-500-57025
E-mail: Sebahattin.Cirak@uni-ulm.de
https://www.uniklinik-ulm.de/kinder-und-jugendmedizin/ag-prof-cirak.html

Die Einstellung erfolgt durch die Verwaltung des Klinikums / Die Einstellung erfolgt über die Verwaltung des Klinikums im Auftrag des Landes Baden-Württemberg. Personen mit Schwerbehinderung werden bei gleicher Eignung vorrangig eingestellt. Das Universitätsklinikum Ulm strebt die Erhöhung des Frauenanteils in den Bereichen an, in denen Sie unterrepräsentiert sind. Entsprechend qualifizierte Frauen werden um ihre Bewerbung gebeten. Vollzeitstellen sind grundsätzlich teilbar. Eine an die Befristung anschließende Weiterbeschäftigung ist möglich.