Now Open: Additional Call for PhD Students

We are pleased to announce an additional call for the second cohort of our Graduate Programme RNAmed – Future Leaders in RNA-based Medicine.

Applications are invited for 6 PhD positions (4 years) in Würzburg, Munich or Regensburg (Germany). Supervisors offering a position are listed below.

RNA-based therapeutics have emerged in recent years for several diseases. With the exceptionally rapid development of RNA vaccines to counteract the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic it has become increasingly clear that RNA is on the verge of becoming another major molecule class for the fields of diagnostics, prevention and treatment of diseases.

We are seeking an international group of students eager to join this programme and contribute to the advancement of precision medicine and targeted molecular therapies. An international spirit, active networking, extracurricular activities and pharmaceutical translation are main features of RNAmed. Launched in 2022 and funded by the Elite Network of Bavaria (ENB), RNAmed takes a holistic approach to endowing doctoral students with the skills necessary for a career in the rapidly growing field of RNA-based medicine. The programme has been bringing together a diverse consortium of world-leading scientists in RNA modification and delivery, CRISPR-Cas systems, microRNAs, non-coding RNA, RNA biology of infections, and RNA chemistry.

At this point, the following supervisors have open positions (more information at https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/imib/rnamed/supervisors/):

• Professor Jörg Vogel (University of Würzburg)
• Professor Cynthia Sharma (University of Würzburg)
• Professor Claudia Höbartner (University of Würzburg)
• Professor Utz Fischer (University of Würzburg)
• Professor Selim Corbacioglu (University Hospital Regensburg) and
• Professor Andrea Rentmeister (LMU Munich; please note: Prof. Rentmeister is particularly looking for applicants with a strong background in biochemistry (RNA biochemistry)).

Successful candidates shall begin their PhD projects in January 2027 (later starting dates are negotiable). We invite applications from outstanding students of all nationalities dedicated to becoming part of RNAmed. Applicants are expected to hold a Master’s degree (with top grades) or equivalent in the life sciences, chemistry, medicine, pharmaceutical sciences or a related discipline.

Applications must be submitted in English preferably by email as one single PDF file to

med-rnamed@uni-wuerzburg.de.

Please include:

• Cover letter (in addition to your motivation for RNAmed, please also indicate which two of the listed research groups you would prefer and explain why)
• CV
• Contact information of two academic reference persons
• Relevant certificates
• List of publications (if applicable)

The application deadline for this call is September 17, 2026.

The participating universities aim to increase the proportion of female employees, therefore applications from qualified women are particularly welcome. Preference will be given to handicapped persons in case of otherwise equal aptitude. If applicable, please clearly state any severe disabilities in your cover letter or CV.

Salary will be based on the pay scale for the public sector in Germany (TV-L).

Informal inquiries to the advertised positions may be directed to the programme speaker,

Prof. Jörg Vogel (joerg.vogel@uni-wuerzburg.de).

We look forward to receiving your application.

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Institut für Molekulare Infektionsbiologie (IMIB)

Universität Würzburg

Sekretariat Prof. Dr. Jörg Vogel

Josef-Schneider-Straße 2 / D15

97080 Würzburg