PhD Position - Therapeutic Targeting of Liver and Stellate Cell Hypoxia in Metabolic Liver Disease

"Knowledge becomes health" - we are filling this motto with life every day, developing new ideas and improv-ing old-established knowledge. The University Hospital Frankfurt has existed since 1914. Our around 8,500 employees contribute with their skills and knowledge to the 33 specialist clinics, theoretical clinical institutes, and administrative departments. The close connection of health care with research and teaching, as well as a climate of collegiality, internationality, and cross-professional cooperation characterize the university hospital. Dr. Christopher Schrecker's research team at the Biomedical Research Laboratory, University Hospital Frankfurt, is seeking a motivated PhD candidate to explore how liver and stellate cell hypoxia contribute to fibrogenesis and genomic instability in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and MASH-related hepatocellular carcinoma (MASH-HCC). This research will employ advanced molecular and metabolic profiling techniques to uncover novel strategies for preventing and treating MASH and MASH-HCC, conditions that are increasingly prevalent due to rising obesity rates and represent major public health challenges. Dr. Schrecker brings a wealth of expertise from his postdoctoral training in cancer metabolism at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, where he explored the role of cellular metabolism in cancer initiation and progression. His research group is embedded in the Biomedical Research Laboratory under the direction of Prof. Stefan Zeuzem, a leading authority in gastroenterology and hepatology. Building on preliminary findings that link hypoxia to molecular signatures of liver fibrosis and genomic instability, this project will investigate the complex interplay between hypoxia, fibrogenic pathways, and carcinogenesis using in vitro models, animal studies, and clinical patient samples.