PhD Candidate – Lipidomics & Fatty Acid Metabolism in Inflammation

About the role

The Institute of Clinical Pharmacology at Goethe University Frankfurt seeks a PhD candidate to join Dr. Hahnefeld’s interdisciplinary project on lipid metabolism and inflammation. The three‑year limited contract combines cell‑based experiments with advanced mass‑spectrometry lipidomics and computational data analysis.

Key responsibilities

• Plan, conduct and document experiments using cellular models of inflammation and metabolic perturbation.
• Prepare samples and perform LC‑HRMS‑based lipidomics, GC‑HRMS fatty‑acid analysis, and LC‑MS/MS lipid‑mediator measurements.
• Develop and apply robust analytical workflows and reproducible data‑processing pipelines in R or Python.
• Perform quality control, data annotation, statistical analysis, and integrate lipidomics data with imaging and proteomics datasets.
• Validate findings with project partners and present results at conferences and in publications.

Required profile

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in analytical chemistry, chemistry, pharmacy, biochemistry, molecular life sciences or related field.
• Strong theoretical and practical background in analytical chemistry.
• Careful, structured, independent work style and ability to collaborate in interdisciplinary teams.
• Very good written and spoken English.

Required skills

• Liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) techniques.
• Mass spectrometry, especially high‑resolution MS.
• Lipidomics and metabolomics workflow experience (preferred).
• Programming in R and/or Python for data analysis.

What we offer

• Attractive salary according to collective agreement (TV‑G‑U, E13) with annual special payment.
• Long‑term security through company pension schemes.
• Structured training in high‑resolution MS, lipidomics, fatty‑acid analysis and reproducible data analysis.
• Possibility of remote work, part‑time employment, and on‑site childcare.
• Free public transport in Hessen, health‑promotion offers, and regular online/face‑to‑face courses.