Postdoc | Human In Vitro Models of Lung Disease - Endothelial Biology in Chronic Lung Diseases

The Position

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Scientist to join the Tech Innovation Lab within Immunology & Respiratory Research at Boehringer Ingelheim.

This role focuses on advancing human-relevant in vitro models of lung disease (ILD and COPD) with a strong emphasis on endothelial biology and vascular heterogeneity.

The first objective of the project is to develop robust isolation strategies to distinguish lymphatic versus blood endothelial cells from human lung tissues and integrate clean endothelial cell populations into next-generation in vitro systems.

Importantly, the project aims to ultimately develop human proof-of-concept co-culture models to establish causal links between blood endothelial dysfunction and fibrosis-relevant readouts.

This position is particularly suited for candidates interested in bridging advanced model development with mechanistic disease biology in a translational setting.

Postdoc: This Position is limited for 2 years.

To make it easier to find our job advertisements, we use the usual designation "postdoc". Of course, this advertisement is not only addressed to applicants directly after completing their doctorate, but to all qualified candidates.

Tasks & responsibilities

• You will develop and optimize novel isolation workflows to separate blood vascular endothelial cells (BECs) & lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) from human lung tissue
• Moreover, you will establish and validate phenotypic and functional characterization pipelines including marker-based profiling at gene and protein level & functional assays (e.g., barrier function, transport, inflammatory activation, etc.)
• In addition, you will integrate endothelial subtypes into advanced in vitro models, including 3D organoid and multi-lineage systems, endothelial-centered co-cultures & microphysiological systems
• Furthermore, you will Investigate vascular subtype-specific mechanisms in ILD and COPD, including barrier integrity and permeability, inflammatory and immune signaling & downstream tissue remodeling processes.
• You will additionally generate and interpret high-dimensional datasets (e.g., transcriptomics, imaging, secretome profiling)
• We expect you to contribute to early discovery and translational efforts by enabling subtype-resolved biology and delivering disease-relevant human model systems suitable for drug discovery

Requirements

• Excellent PhD in vascular biology, cell biology, immunology, pulmonary biology, or a related field
• Strong experience with primary human cell isolation and culture
• Hands-on experience with cell sorting techniques (FACS/MACS) is essential
• Experience in advanced cell culture systems (e.g., organoids, co-cultures, organ-on-chip) is highly desirable
• Expertise in endothelial biology is a plus
• Familiarity with single-cell or spatial omics approaches is an advantage
• Strong problem-solving mindset and interest in method development and innovation
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team within an industry research environment
• Excellent communication skills in English
• Ability to communicate complex biological concepts in a clear and accessible manner

As part of our commitment to transparency and fairness, salary information will be shared during the recruitment process. We also offer a comprehensive benefits and wellbeing package. 

Applications from people with severe disabilities are warmly welcomed. In cases of equal qualifications, such applicants will be given preferential consideration in the selection process.

Ready to contact us? 

If you have any questions about the job posting or process - please contact our HR Direct Team, Tel: +49 (0) 6132 77-3330 or via mail: hr.de@boehringer-ingelheim.com

Recruitment process:

Step 1: Online application - The job posting is presumably online until September 1st, 2026. We reserve the right to take the posting offline beforehand. 
Step 2: Virtual meeting in the period of mid September
Step 3: On-site interviews beginning of October
Please submit your application documents in English.