The PhD program offers structured, state-of-the-art training in signal transduction and a wide spectrum of techniques and approaches ranging from the understanding of molecules at atomic resolution level to in vivo studies, to the development of bioinformatics methods and mathematical modelling.

With multidisciplinary PhD projects, excellent research infrastructure, a structured training program and committed advisors the program offers all components necessary for a successful PhD and career start.

A great example for a successful PhD is Iva Lučić from the group of Thomas Leonard at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories (MPFL) at the Vienna BioCenter (VBC), who won the VBC PhD Award 2017 with her thesis entitled “Role of membrane binding in the activation of Protein Kinase B (PKB) and Protein Kinase C (PKC)”.

We will study how signaling mechanisms impact homeostasis in cell-free, cell-based, and organismal systems, with a particular focus on the highly topical role of autophagy in different processes and studying autophagic mechanisms in depth.

Throughout their lives, organisms maintain homeostasis in the face of changing conditions by interpreting environmental signals and translating them into appropriate biochemical and biological outputs. Crucial for all these processes is the correct operation of signaling pathways in cells and tissues.