The Hypovax consortium (www.hypovax.org) has been established at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in The Netherlands to address the recognized challenge of differences in vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy between countries, and between populations within countries. The Immunomodulation and Vaccines research group at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) is a partner to the Hypovax consortium, as are collaborating partners in countries including Senegal, Gabon, Tanzania and Indonesia.
As part of this partnership, we are pleased to offer a PhD fellowship which will have the overall objective of investigating immunological mechanisms behind population differences in vaccine responses using tissue samples obtained during tonsillectomy, alongside blood samples. The fellowship will be based at UVRI and LUMC for four years. The project will be conducted in collaboration with a surgical team based at Makerere University College of Health Sciences.
The fellowship will provide;
• Stipend
•Travel costs
•Research costs
• PhD registration at LUMC
The successful candidate will be expected to take a leadership role in developing the project work in Uganda. He/she will be supervised jointly by Dr Gyaviira Nkurunungi at UVRI and a colleague (to be appointed) in the Netherlands. The position is suitable for graduates in laboratory or biomedical sciences with a career interest in immunology and immunoinformatics.
Applicants should hold a first degree and Master’s degree in relevant subjects and have experience of immunological research. Applications from groups underrepresented in biomedical research, including women and people with disabilities, are particularly encouraged.
Enquiries may be directed to Dr Gyaviira Nkurunungi (gyaviira.nkurunungi@mrcuganda.org), Dr Abena Amoah (a.s.amoah@lumc.nl) or Mr Moses Kizza (mkizza@uvri.go.ug; moses.kizza@mrcuganda.org). Candidates should submit their applications using the form provided, available from Mr Kizza.
All documents must be received no later than midnight East African Standard Time on 3rd December 2023. Incomplete or late applications will not be processed.
For details and the application form, download the attachments.
