General Information

Special recruitment to the Wroclaw Doctoral School of Institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences for the Ph.D. student position in the program “Implementation doctorate I”, financed by Ministry of Education and Science in Poland   topic: "Diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic significance of tissue damage markers in graft-versus-host disease in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation"

INSTITUTION: Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences
CITY: Wrocław
POSITION: Ph.D. student in the program “Implementation doctorate I”, financed by Ministry of Education and Science (MEiN) in Poland 
SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINE: medical sciences
DATE OF ANNOUNCEMENT: 12/08/2022
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS: 14/09/2022
THE COMPETITION DECISION DATE: 20/09/2022
LINK TO THE WSD IPAN WEBSITE: http://wsdipan.intibs.pl
LINK TO THE IITD PAN WEBSITE: https://hirszfeld.pl/
KEYWORDS: aGvHD and cGvHD biological markers, HSCT, TNFR1, TIM-3, Th17, Treg

Wroclaw Doctoral School of Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences (WSD IPAN) announces a special recruitment for a PhD student - scholarship holder in the 6th edition of the "Implementation PhD I" program - topic: "Diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic significance of tissue damage markers in graft-versus-host disease in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation", commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Science (DWD/6/0421/2022)under the supervision of dr. hab. Lidia Karabon at the Laboratory of Genetics and Epigenetics of Human Diseases of the Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the Lower Silesian Center of Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology (DCOPiH).

1. Description of the research project

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a major complication in the early phase after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) occurring in up to 60% of transplant recipients. Risk factors associated with GvHD are HLA mismatch, age, sex of donor and recipient, and aggressive conditioning regimen. Later after HSCT, usually between 3 and 24 months, the major clinical problem is chronic GvHD, observed in about 50% of recipients of which 10-15% in its most severe, disabling and life-threatening manifestation.

The ability to predict GvHD before the presentation of clinical symptoms, with accurate stratification of patients due to response to treatment, is essential for individualized tailoring and improvement of GvHD therapy. In current project, we aim to create using machine learning a prognostic model on the basis of implemented in this project and previously determined biomarkers to estimate the risk of a/cGvHD and predict the chance of response to treatment.

For the project we selected the most promising markers covering the largest area of GvHD mechanisms, i.e. TNFR1, TIM-3 (systemic inflammation markers) ST2, Reg3alpha (gastrointestinal injury biomarkers), amfiregulin (AREG) (endothelial damage biomarker), BAFF (B cell-activating factor), which in this project we would like to test for their sensitivity and specificity as GvHD markers. In addition, subpopulations of lymphocytes, Th17, Treg, or immune checkpoints TIM-3 and LAG, as well as inflammatory markers will be determined. Using obtained results and clinical data, we would like to create predictive and stratification algorithms using machine learning and select the best aGvHD and cGvHD markers to be implemented into routine clinical practice in DCOPiH.

2. Additional information

The Ph.D. student program is performed based on the Communication of 29.04.2022 of MEiN on the establishment of the “Implementation Doctorate” program that grants the PhD fellowship, defined in the Act of 20 July 2018 – Law on higher education and science (Dz. U. no. 1668 as amended) in article 209 paragraph 1, as below.

The total Ph.D. fellowship per month will be provided:

a.      3450 PLN (gross) – till the month of the mid-term evaluation (planned at the end of II academic year);

b.     4450 PLN (gross) – starting from the next month after the mid-term evaluation (during III and IV academic years).

Funds under the "Implementation Doctorate" Program are granted for a period of no more than 4 years, regardless of the salary received by the Doctoral Student at the cooperating institution.

3. Duties of the PhD student-scholarship holder:

• timely implementation of an individual research plan, consistent with the schedule of the implementation doctorate,
• collection, preparation and preservation of the material for the study, analysis of the available literature, development of the research methodology, performance of the tests necessary for the project, analysis of the obtained data in the context of clinical data.
• analysis and presentation of experimental results, preparation of reports and scientific publications, participation in scientific conferences,
• preparation and validation of the predictive algorithm
• implementation of the education program and tasks resulting from the duties of the doctoral student of the WSD IPAN.
• preparation and submission of the doctoral dissertation at the end of the 4th year of doctorate at the latest and obtaining the doctoral degree

4. Requirements:

Only a person who does not have a doctoral degree and is not a participant in a doctoral school may enter the program.

• A candidate for a doctoral degree must have the status of an employee of the cooperating entity (Lower Silesian Center for Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology) in the period from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2026, as defined in the regulations (Labor Code Article 2 - Journal of Laws of 2020, item 1320, as amended).
• Graduate in medical analytics, biotechnology, biology, medical faculty or related fields (diploma delivery date: September 30, 2022, at the latest)
• Scientific interest in the field of hematology, transplantology, immunology confirmed by publications, courses, training, participation in conferences, etc.
• Good knowledge of English, both spoken and written,
• Conscientiousness, motivation and enthusiasm for research work, self-reliance, ability to work in a team, creativity, high personal culture,
• Well-regarded is:
  • knowledge and experience in experimental and laboratory work in flow cytometry, western blot, ELISA, DNA and/or RNA isolation techniques, PCR, qPCR,
  • completed courses and training related to the topic of the PhD.

5. Required documents (in accordance with the document Admission rules to the Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences):

• a completed integrated form downloaded from the WSD IPAN website containing: application for admission to the School, personal questionnaire and a declaration that in the event of admission to the WSD IPAN it will be the only doctoral school in which the Candidate will study;
• curriculum vitae containing a list of scientific publications, scholarships and awards, a list of conferences in which the Candidate participated, along with the titles and authors of the speeches;
• a letter of application containing a short description of scientific interests and achievements as well as justification of the intention to start education at the doctoral school;
• a copy of the diploma confirming graduation or a certificate of obtaining a master's degree, or a certificate of the set date of defense;
• a copy of the entire index of first-cycle and second-cycle studies (or long-cycle studies), or a diploma supplement with grades for the entire studies, or student grade cards for all years of study, confirmed by the dean's office;
• English language certificate at the B2 level or higher (does not apply to candidates who passed the final exam at this level during their studies),

Additional obligatory document:

Statement of the Lower Silesian Center of Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology that in the case of admission to Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences the candidate will remain or will be employed (not later than from 1.10.2022) on the full time in the period of the doctoral studies and the consent to His/Her education in the doctoral school within the program and providing Him/Her an auxiliary advisor out of the company staff.

 6. Application forms to the School should be submitted by 14/09/2022 by 3:00  PM:

• in person at the School (INTiBS PAN ul. Okólna 2 in Wrocław) from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, or
• by registered mail or courier (the date of receipt of documents at the School is decisive) to the following address: WSD IPAN, ul. Okólna 2, 50-422 Wrocław, or
• electronically to the address   (with an annotation WD_LK_GvHD), the original documents should be delivered before starting the education.

For additional information please contact with dr hab. Lidia Karabon

7. Information clause:

Based on Article. 13 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (Journal of Laws UE L 119 of 04/05/2016, p. 1), hereinafter referred to as "GDPR", I would like to inform you that:

• The administrator of your personal data is the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy Polish Academy of Sciences in Wrocław, ul. Rudolfa Weigl 12, 53-114 Wrocław
• The administrator of personal data can be contacted by letter to the address given in point 1 above, or by phone at 71 3709940, and the data protection officer appointed by him can be contacted in all matters regarding data processing via the e-mail account: iod @ hirszfeld.pl or by post to the registered office address.
• Personal data will be processed in order to perform the administrator's tasks related to recruitment for a research project entitled "Diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic significance of tissue damage markers in graft-versus-host disease in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation", commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Science (DWD/6/0424/2022) and to the Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, thus your personal data will be processed on the basis of the Act of 20 July 2018 Law on Higher Education and Science (Article 6 (1) (c) of the GDPR), the Controller's legitimate interest in the implementation of the research project (Article 6 (1) (f) of the GDPR).
• Providing your personal data by you is voluntary, but necessary to achieve the above-mentioned purposes.
• Personal data collected in the current recruitment process will be kept during the recruitment period.
• The person whose data is processed has the right to: access personal data, request the rectification of personal data, request the deletion of personal data, request to limit the processing of personal data, object to the processing of data due to a special situation.
• The person whose data is processed also has the right to lodge a complaint with the President of the Personal Data Protection Office, if it is found that the Administrator has breached the provisions on the protection of personal data.
• As a result of processing, decisions will not be made in an automated manner (without human intervention), including not based on profiling.
• Personal data may be made available to our authorized employees, processors, i.e. those performing activities on our behalf (eg IT and accounting services), and the personal data of a Candidate selected in the competition may then be made available to third parties authorized by law.