Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences. University of Bern, Switzerland.

Applications are invited for two fully funded PhD positions to join our virology group at the University of Bern. The positions will be available from 1 September 2026.

Our research group focuses on the molecular mechanisms of parvovirus infection, particularly host-virus interactions at cellular and structural levels.

The projects address complementary aspects of B19V pathogenesis, focusing on how the virus disseminates in the bloodstream and crosses the placental barrier. One project will investigate a newly identified mechanism of viral shielding by host protease inhibitors and its impact on immune evasion, receptor interactions, and viral tropism. The second project will explore how B19V infects placental trophoblasts, replicates, and breaches the maternal-fetal interface using advanced cellular systems, organoids, and tissue models.

We are looking f...