Professor in Cell and Gene Therapy with Focus on Imm...

• Apply until 30/11/2025 (DD/MM/YYYY) 23:59 (Brussels time)
• Discipline: Cell and Gene Therapy with Focus on Immunotherapy
• 10% Assistant professor / Associate professor
• Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Reference number: 202511/GE/ZAP/006

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world-class, open, pluralistic and socially engaged university. Our credo is 'Dare to Think': we are a haven for courageous thinkers.

With one of the most progressive career models for academics in the world, Ghent University evaluates its scholars not only by the length of their publication list but also by the impact they pursue, what they achieve and how they collaborate.

Are you a good 'fit' with our university? Discover here our vision on education and research.

General positioning within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Ghent University is a leading academic community committed to excellent education, groundbreaking research, and impactful social service. With a wide range of programmes, multiple departments, and a broad array of research groups, the faculty covers a wide spectrum of health sciences. It is characterized by a high diversity of research, ranging from fundamental, translational, and clinical to epidemiological (bio)medical research.

The faculty's operations are firmly embedded in an academic and clinical ecosystem with close collaborations with knowledge centres such as Ghent University Hospital and the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), as well as numerous national and international partners. This anchoring creates a stimulating environment in which interdisciplinarity, innovation, and societal relevance take centre stage.

As faculty we are guided by a clear identity: together, with integrity and engagement.

Members of the Independent Academic Staff (ZAP) are expected to develop research and teaching activities that contribute to the advancement of medicine and health sciences. Where possible, they join existing research groups rather than establishing small, isolated units.

Research and teaching at the faculty are only partly supported by staff directly funded by the government (ZAP, assisting academic staff, and administrative and technical staff). A substantial part of the faculty's research is realized by researchers that are funded through external national/Flemish or international resources.

To maintain and strengthen its competitive position nationally and internationally, acquiring external research funding is crucial. Therefore, the faculty expects each ZAP member to take joint responsibility in attracting resources and building interdisciplinary collaborations.

ASSIGNMENT

Ghent University Hospital and Ghent University are investing in a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) unit for the production of new Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs).

To align this unit with fundamental/translational research, a high-level researcher will be appointed to be affiliated with the unit. This researcher will (1) develop their own research line in the field of CAR-T cells, (2) initiate and facilitate the development of new therapies in this domain, and (3) take on a teaching assignment in this field.

Academic education

You lecture various course units in the discipline of immunotherapy, cancer immunology, advanced cell and gene therapy.

Academic research

You conduct innovative and internationally recognized research in the field of cellular immunotherapy, chimeric antigen receptor T cells.

Institutional and societal engagement

You take part in the internal and external service provision of the department of Diagnostic Sciences, amongst others by translating the results of your research to the broader public.

During your career, you are willing to include roles and management positions that are relevant to the department and/or faculty.

Based on your expertise and experience, you will contribute to the further development of the GMP unit by (1) increasing the visibility of the unit (publications, conferences, lectures) (2) attracting and advising researchers to test their scientific findings on humans through translational and clinical research (3) advising the GMP unit on the development of new production methods and quality controls.

PROFILE

• You have a strong academic CV with international visibility in the requested field:

• Your achievements in the field of research and education contribute to the development of the scientific domain (e.g. publications, presentations, or other academic output);

• You are capable to initiate and supervise educational and research projects and to acquire the necessary funding for this;
• You are didactically skilled to teach university students to develop academic competences;
• Mobility is recommended (e.g. education, research, economic, or societal).

• You are capable of guiding the process from fundamental research to effective therapy for humans.

• You work in a collaborative way and integrate smoothly into the department/faculty. You look for opportunities inside and outside the university and actively use your network to do so.

• You show leadership potential/have leadership experience. More information about leadership at Ghent University.

• If you don't know Dutch, you are willing to learn it. This will be assessed during the selection interview. When taking up a teaching assignment, you must master the language of instruction of the course. More information about the language requirements and appropriate language guidance at Ghent University.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Considering the evaluation of academic potential and the accomplishments of the selected candidate, the appointment to the position of assistant professor or associate professor is conferred.

We offer you an appointment with renewable duration for a maximum of 6 years.

Pay attention: A part-time assignment of a certain degree of the professorial staff cannot be combined with a part-time assignment of a different degree of the professorial staff within the same institution.

The recruitment is from 1 September 2026.

OUR OFFER

Ghent University has developed a new inspiring career model for professors. Academic freedom and academics' responsibility, talents and ambitions act as a natural drive to advance their careers, as part of teamwork.

Ghent University is specifically committed to guiding international professors in the process of coming to Ghent. At Ghent University, our view is as broad as possible, because internationalisation creates synergies within and outside the institution.

We offer you a wide range of employee benefits. The basic teacher training and courses in 'Dutch' and 'English' for foreign-speaking lecturers are just a few of our wide range of courses and training.

Professors who meet the conditions may be eligible for Basic Research Funding.

DIVERSITY

Ghent University pursues an equal opportunities policy and values everyone's talent, regardless of gender, age, philosophy of life, skin color, sexual orientation, migration background or disability. We encourage everyone to apply.

Interruptions in research careers and/or atypical career paths (e.g. relevant experience outside the academic sector) will be taken into account when assessing the application.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

The selection committee will carry out an initial, substantive screening of the admissible applications on the file. This assessment takes into consideration both the candidate's merits and potential.

Ghent University emphasizes the qualitative assessment of academic performance. Therefore, candidates are asked in the application form to mention their most important academic or non-academic achievements with the most impact.

For shortlisted candidates, the following steps in the selection procedure shall consist of at least:

• a selection interview in which the vision and planning regarding education, research, and institutional and societal engagement as well as the embedding in the bigger picture are discussed
• a trial lesson on a subject in the relevant field
• a screening of leadership and interpersonal skills
• a vision and ambition document
• in the evaluation, the complementarity of expertise and the compatibility of the profile within the department and faculty play an important role

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• You hold a thesis-based doctorate or a diploma or certificate that is recognized as equivalent in the field of Cell and gene therapy with focus on immunotherapy.

• You have at least two years of postdoctoral experience on 1 September 2026. This term of two years is determined by the date mentioned on the required diploma.

• Your application meets the formal requirements (submitted on time, complete: with a completed application form and a copy of the diploma, delivered via e-recruitment).

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late or incomplete applications, or applications that are not sent through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

• In the field 'Application form': the application form + any attachments merged into one pdf file. Additional documents may be requested from shortlisted candidates.
• In the field 'Diploma': a transcript of your doctoral degree. If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
• In the field 'Certificate of equivalence': only for diplomas awarded outside the European Union: certificate of equivalence (NARIC) (if already in you possession). For diplomas awarded in the UK before January 31st of 2020, a certificate of equivalence is not required.

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

MORE INFORMATION

For further information regarding this vacancy, please contact professor Katrien Devreese , at the faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, department of Diagnostic Sciences.

Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read the FAQ or contact us via