Open Positions

Finding the right lab is one of the most important decisions of your PhD — and we want to make sure you find a great fit. The research groups below are all open to new PhD students in the Spring 2026 call. Take your time exploring — click through to each lab page to get a real sense of the science, the people, and the questions they're chasing. 

A note on labs marked "from [date]": these are newly established groups that will be opening soon at the Vienna BioCenter later. They are already looking for their first PhD students — an exciting opportunity to join a lab right at the beginning and help shape its direction from day one. 

Open positions Spring Call 2026

Julius Brennecke
IMBA
Keywords: RNA interference, RNA biology, Transcription in heterochromatin
Research area: Gene Regulation, RNA, Epigenetics
Alejandro Burga
IMBA
Keywords: Selfish elements, Molecular mechanisms of speciation
Research area: Gene Regulation, RNA, Epigenetics
Christopher Campbell
Max Perutz Labs
Keywords: Aneuploidy, Chromosomes, Cancer
Research area: Cell and Chromosome Biology
Daan de Groot
IMBA (from June 2026)
Keywords: Physics of cell-fate decisions, Bayesian analysis of single-cell omics, Gene expression trajectory inference
Research Area: Computational Biology, Genomes and Evolution
Manon Demulder
GMI (from September 2026)
Keywords: Chloroplast dynamics, Carbon fixation, Cryo-electron tomography
Research area: Biochemistry and Structural Biology
Gang Dong
Max Perutz Labs
Keywords: Cytoskeleton, Parasitology, Drug Discovery
Research area: Biochemistry and Structural Biology
Sebastian Falk
Max Perutz Labs
Keywords: RNA interference, Structural biology, Biochemistry
Research Area: Biochemistry and Structural Biology
Moritz Gaidt
IMP
Keywords: Innate Immunity, Host-pathogen interactions
Research area: Disease Mechanisms, Immunology and Pathogens
Daniel Gerlich
IMBA
Keywords: Genome organization, Biophysics of the cell nucleus, 3D conformation of RNA
Research area: Cell and Chromosome Biology
Erinc Hallacli
Max Perutz Labs
Keywords: Parkinson's Disease, RNA metabolism, iPSC derived neurons
Research area: Neurobiology
David Haselbach
IMP
Keywords: Cryo EM, Ubiquitin proteasome system, Germ cells
Research area: Biochemistry and Structural Biology
Jia He
GMI (from July 2026)
Keywords: Evolutionary novelty, Morphogenesis
Research area: Plant Biology
Joanna Jachowicz
IMBA
Keywords: Transposable elements, Embryonic stem cells, Microscopy
Research area: Gene Regulation, RNA and Epigenetics
Elif Karagöz
Max Perutz Labs
Keywords: Translation regulation, Protein quality control
Research area: Biochemistry and Structural Biology
Juergen Knoblich
IMBA
Keywords: Organoids, Brain development, Brain disorder
Research area: Neurobiology
Alwin Koehler
Max Perutz Labs
Keywords: Transcription biology, Single-molecule techniques, Biomolecular condensates
Research area: Cell and Chromosome Biology
Sascha Martens
Max Perutz Labs
Keywords: Autophagy, Neurodegeneration
Research area: Cell and Chromosome Biology
Javier Martinez
Max Perutz Labs
Keywords: RNA processing, tRNA splicing, Diamond-Blackfan anemia
Research area: Gene Regulation, RNA, Epigenetics
Joao Matos
Max Perutz Labs
Keywords: DNA repair, Chromosome biology, CryoET
Research area: Cell and Chromosome Biology
Danny Nedialkova
Max Perutz Labs (from April 2026)
Keywords: Translation regulation, RNA quality control, Protein homeostasis
Research area: Gene Regulation, RNA, Epigenetics
Anna Obenauf
IMP
Keywords: Therapy resistance, Anti-tumor immunity
Research area: Disease Mechanisms, Immunology and Pathogens
Andrea Pauli
IMP
Keywords: Fertilization, Dormancy, Molecular mechanisms during embryogenesis
Research area: Stem Cells, Development, Regeneration
Diana Pinheiro
IMP
Keywords: Gastruloids, Mechanics, Cell fate
Research area: Stem Cells, Development, Regeneration
Clemens Plaschka
IMP
Keywords: Gene expression, RNA biology, Structural Biology
Research area: Biochemistry and Structural Biology & Gene Regulation, RNA, Epigenetics
Silvia Ramundo
GMI
Keywords: Mechanisms of organelle biogenesis, Quality control
Research area: Gene Regulation, RNA, Epigenetics
Kristina Stapornwongkul
IMBA
Keywords: Morphogenesis, Energetic constraints, Optogenetics
Research area: Stem Cells, Development and Regeneration
Alex Stark
IMP
Keywords: Transcription regulation, AI/deep learning, Synthetic biology
Research area: Gene Regulation, RNA, Epigenetics & Computational Biology, Genomes and Evolution
Joris van der Veeken
IMP
Keywords: T cell biology, Immunological tolerance, Gene Regulation
Research area: Disease Mechanisms, Immunology and Pathogens
Gjis Versteeg
Max Perutz Labs
Keywords: Protein degradation, Protection of gDNA integrity, Negative immune-regulation
Research area: Disease Mechanisms, Immunology and Pathogens
Johannes Zuber
IMP
Keywords: Cancer, Functional Genetics, CRISPR screens
Research area: Disease Mechanisms, Immunology and Pathogens