MSCA DN- INNOVARTBRAIN: PHD position in advancing targeted alpha therapy

Organisation/Company Université d'Angers Department CRCI2NA - team GLIAD Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 31 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

• About INNOVARTBRAIN project

Coordinated by the University of Santiago de Compostela, INNOVARTBRAIN is a multidisciplinary Doctoral Network dedicated to advancing innovative radiotherapy (RT) approaches for brain tumours. The network adopts a holistic strategy to address the major challenges associated with brain tumours, including radioresistance, tumour infiltration and immunosuppression. By bringing together leading expertise from academic, clinical and industrial partners, INNOVARTBRAIN establishes a strong collaborative network to advance both the fundamental understanding and translational potential of innovative radiotherapy approaches, while developing enabling technologies for the field. The network will further strengthen these research activities while training a new generation of creative, innovative and entrepreneurial researchers.

The INNOVARTBRAIN network will recruit 14 PhD candidates across the consortium.

• About Team 5 of the CRCI2NA research unit

The doctoral candidate will join Team 5 - GLIAD (Design and Application of Innovative Locoregional Treatments in Glioblastoma), based in Angers within the Nantes-Angers Center for Research in Cancer and Integrated Immunology (CRCI2NA), Inserm U1307 / CNRS 6075.

GLIAD is one of the 12 research teams of CRCI2NA, a multidisciplinary cancer research center that approaches cancer as a complex ecosystem through the complementary perspectives of "seeing, understanding and treating." Within this framework, GLIAD focuses on glioblastoma and develops innovative locoregional therapeutic strategies targeting tumor biology, the tumour microenvironment and treatment resistance, with the ultimate goal of anticipating recurrence and improving patient outcomes.

• Presentation of the PhD project

Within this project, the University of Angers is recruiting one doctoral student for 36 months under the supervision of Dr Emmanuel Garcion, director of CRCI2NA Team 5. The successful candidate will pursue a PhD at the University of Angers, France.

The doctoral candidate will investigate targeted alpha therapy as an innovative locoregional treatment strategy for glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat brain tumours, characterised by limited therapeutic options and a high risk of recurrence despite surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Using a preclinical glioblastoma model, the project will assess how the molecular target, delivery vector and radionuclide collectively influence therapeutic efficacy. Beyond evaluating anti-tumour effects, the doctoral candidate will investigate how targeted alpha therapy damages tumour tissue and reshapes the local and systemic immune response. By combining imaging, histology and single-cell transcriptomics, in collaboration with the partner institutions INEM and MUW, the project aims to provide an integrated understanding of the mechanisms underlying targeted alpha therapy and to identify key determinants of its efficacy, thereby supporting its future translation towards clinical application.

Planned secondments: The doctoral candidate will undertake international secondments within the INNOVARTBRAIN network, including:

- INEM:Institut Necker-Enfants Malades (INSERM U1151). Paris, France

- MUW: Medical University of Vienna. Austria.

These secondments will provide exposure to complementary academic and clinical research environments, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and providing opportunities to develop additional scientific, technical and transferable skills.

Requirements

Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

We are looking for a highly motivated researcher with a Master’s degree in neuroscience, neuro-oncology, cancer biology, molecular biology, biomedical sciences, radiopharmacy, or a related field. A strong interest in glioblastoma biology, radionuclide-based therapies and translational cancer research is expected.

Experience in preclinical models of brain tumours, neuro-oncology, molecular and cellular biology, immunology will be considered an advantage. Familiarity with radiopharmaceuticals, targeted radionuclide therapy, monoclonal antibodies or tumour-microenvironment interactions would be particularly valuable. The candidate will be expected to deve