PhD Project: Personalized Medicine in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Personalized Medicine in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Call for applications for a partially financed PhD fellowship
Project description
The overall aim of the project is to explore personalized medicine regarding three important drugs
used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Focus areas are 1) to explore targeted
treatment in ALL for a subgroup of patients with worse prognosis and 2) to reduce treatment-related
toxicities.
Overall, the outcome of ALL has improved significantly during the last decades. This improvement
has been achieved by intensification of the cytotoxic treatment, better supportive care,
stratification based on specific cytogenetic changes in the blasts and minimal-residual disease
measurements. However, as the dose intensity of conventional chemotherapy has been pushed to
its limit to improve survival rates, further improvement in outcome and after treatment quality of
life need to rely more heavily on molecular therapeutic as well as targeted immuno and cellular
therapy approaches together with precise risk stratification and personalized medicine.
Patients with ALL (children as well as young adults) have varying responses and side effects to
chemotherapy. Addition of targeted treatment for patients with specific leukemic cell changes, may
improve the outcome for some of these patients. Treatment with chemotherapy is associated with
many toxicities, that may be reduced and even hindered by therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) or
by identifying toxicity-related biomarkers.
This PhD project seeks to uncover aspects of personalized treatment for acute lymphoblastic
leukemia, that will have impact on the therapy in future treatment protocols.
The PhD fellowship will be carried out at the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine,
the Department of Clinical Biochemistry and the Department of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus
University Hospital. One sub study will be in close collaboration with colleagues in Uppsala, Sweden.
This PhD project is partially funded, and the supervisors will assist the applicant in seeking additional
funding to cover the remaining duration of the PhD.
Supervisors
Primary Supervisor: Professor Birgitte Klug Albertsen
Co-Supervisor: MD, PhD Katrine Schou Sandgaard
Qualifications
The PhD position will require excellent organizational skills and the ability to collaborate effectively
with patients, hospital staff, and other researchers. The candidate will need to manage both
laboratory and clinical research tasks while maintaining a strong focus on data integrity and
interdisciplinary communication. The ability to work in a team, adapt to evolving research methods,
and prioritize tasks in a dynamic environment will be essential for success in this role.
The candidate should have a background in medicine, with a keen interest in pharmacology,
immunology and paediatric haematology/oncology. The PhD project will involve laboratory-based
research, and familiarity with laboratory techniques is preferable, but not exclusive.
How to apply
Please submit your motivated application and CV to biralber@rm.dk
Application deadline: 10.11.2025.
Interviews for the position will be held in week 48.
Preferred starting date: 01.03.2026
Further information
For further inquiries about the project, please contact Birgitte Klug Albertsen at biralber@rm.dk