Looking for 4 Group Leaders/ PIs in Kaunas-Kiel Microbiome & Precision Medicine Center

The newly established Kaunas-Kiel Microbiome & Precision Medicine Center at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences invites highly motivated, creative, and ambitious researchers to apply for Principal Investigator / Group Leader positions (R3/R4 levels).

The Center is being developed as an international joint initiative between the Institute for Digestive Research (VSTI; https://vsti.lt) at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU; https://lsmu.lt), Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Hospital Kauno Klinikos (LSMUHKK; https://www.kaunoklinikos.lt) and our leading European partners – Institute for Clinical and Molecular Biology (IKMB; https://www.ikmb.uni-kiel.de) and Kiel Microbiome Center (KMC; https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/centres/kmc) at Kiel University in Northern Germany. The Center aims to establish a strong, internationally visible research environment integrating cutting-edge microbiome research, systems medicine approaches and translational innovation to address major challenges in human health and disease.

 

Scientific Foci

The Center will focus on fundamental and translational research addressing the role of the microbiome in human health and disease. Key research directions include, but are not limited to:

• Host-microbiome interactions across physiological and pathological conditions
• Microbiome driven mechanisms in inflammatory, metabolic, oncological, and infectious diseases
• Development of innovative experimental model systems for mechanistic investigation and translational validation of microbiome-mediated processes
• Advanced AI and machine learning frameworks for integrative multi-omics analysis, systems modeling, and predictive simulation of host-microbiome-driven disease processes
• Translation of microbiome and systems-level discoveries into clinically actionable biomarkers, mechanistic insights, and therapeutic strategies
• Establishment of integrated research platforms and collaborative frameworks to enable interdisciplinary microbiome and systems medicine research

The Center provides a strong methodological foundation, including advanced in vitro and ex vivo model systems, comprehensive multi-omics technologies, integrative computational biology, and translational research infrastructures. Applicants are encouraged to leverage and further develop these capabilities within their proposed research programs. Proposed research programs should complement and synergize with existing expertise within the Center and its international partner institutions.

 

We Are Looking For…

… applications from researchers who:

• have established or demonstrate strong potential to establish an internationally competitive independent research program,
• present a clear, ambitious, and innovative research vision aligned with the Center’s strategic priorities,
• demonstrate scientific excellence and the capacity to secure competitive funding, and
• are committed to fostering collaboration across experimental, computational, and clinical disciplines within an international research environment.

 

Our Offer

• Full-time position (3-year initial appointment, extendable for up to 2 additional years with institutional support), with the possibility of transition to a long-term or tenure-track role.
• Annual gross salary: Category R3 – up to €72,000; Category R4 – up to € 100,000, depending on qualifications and experience.
• A competitive start-up package of up to €1 million to enable the rapid establishment of an independent research group (including personnel, operational costs, services, and equipment).
• Access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure spanning advanced microbiome technologies, multi-omics platforms, bioinformatics, AI-driven data analysis, and experimental model systems.
• Strong institutional support for international collaboration, including joint projects, research visits, and exchanges with partner institution such as the IKMB and KMC at Kiel University in Germany.
• Dedicated administrative, grant development, and technology transfer support.
• Comprehensive relocation and integration assistance for international candidates and their families.
• A transparent, inclusive, and collaborative research environment.

 

Candidate Profile and Requirements

Applicants should:

• Hold a PhD in life sciences, biomedicine, bioinformatics, computational biology, or a closely related field
• Have at least three years of postdoctoral research experience or demonstrate equivalent scientific independence (R3/R4 level)
• Demonstrate the ability to establish and lead an internationally competitive independent research program
• Show evidence of scientific excellence through high-quality publications and/or success in securing competitive research funding
• Present a clear, innovative research vision aligned with the strategic priorities of the Kaunas-Kiel Microbiome & Systems Medicine Center
• Demonstrate experience in, or strong potential for, interdisciplinary research spanning experimental, computational, and/or clinical domains
• Be committed to mentoring students and early-career researchers and contributing to a collaborative international research environment

 

How to Apply

Applicants are invited to submit the following documents:

• Curriculum vitae (including a list of publications)
• Statement of research interests describing past research accomplishments (1–2 pages)
• Research program proposal (3–4 pages), outlining scientific vision, relevance to the Center, and collaboration potential

Selected candidates will be invited for an online interview with the selection committee.

Please apply until 1st May, 2026.
E-mail for the application submission: vsti@lsmu.lt

 

About Kaunas

Based in Kaunas, the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences offers a collaborative and internationally oriented research environment, combined with a high quality of life in a culturally vibrant and family-friendly city.

Learn more: https://kaunasin.lt/en/live-in-kaunas/

 

ABOUT THE INSTITUTIONS

Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

The Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) is Lithuania’s leading health sciences university and one of the foremost biomedical research and education institutions in the Baltic region. Integrating biomedical research, education, and clinical practice within a comprehensive academic hospital environment, LSMU builds on strong traditions in clinical medicine, public health, and life sciences while actively participating in international networks and EU-funded research initiatives. LSMU provides access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure, including high-throughput multi-omics platforms, advanced bioinformatics resources, biobanks and clinically annotated cohorts, and modern animal research facilities supporting mechanistic and translational studies.

 

Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno klinikos 

Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno klinikos (LSMUHKK) is the largest and most advanced multidisciplinary academic medical centre in Lithuania, combining high-level clinical practice, scientific research, and medical education. Established in 1940, the hospital operates an extensive healthcare campus with state-of-the-art facilities (including Biobank with clinically annotated human biospecimens, the Cyclotron and Radiopharmacy Centre supporting molecular imaging and radiopharmaceutical research) and a wide range of clinical specialties, serving patients nationally and internationally. Together, these infrastructures foster innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration across biomedical and clinical sciences. As a teaching hospital affiliated with the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kauno klinikos integrates clinical excellence with innovation and research collaborations across biomedical disciplines.

 

Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology

The Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (IKMB) at Kiel University is a leading biomedical research institute focused on molecular mechanisms of human disease and their clinical application. Its research spans genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional, and cellular regulation, with a strong emphasis on understanding interactions between host tissues and the microbiome and translating findings into innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. IKMB houses cutting-edge infrastructure — including high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics platforms — and collaborates closely with clinical partners to bridge basic science and precision medicine.

 

Kiel Microbiome Center

The Kiel Microbiome Center (KMC) at Kiel University is a dynamic interdisciplinary hub of scientists dedicated to expanding our understanding of the microbiome and driving translational innovation for the benefit of human, animal, plant, and environmental health. The Center brings together expertise across faculties to address fundamental and applied questions in microbiome science, fostering collaboration, advancing experimental and computational approaches, and supporting novel applications and methodologies across diverse biological systems.

 

Selection Process and Equal Opportunities

The recruitment process will be based on scientific excellence, the originality and feasibility of the proposed research program, and alignment with the strategic priorities of the Center.

Applications will be reviewed by an international Search Committee. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an online interview (planned for May 2026). All candidates will be evaluated under equal and transparent conditions. The anticipated starting date is September 2026 (negotiable).

The Lithuanian University of Health Sciences is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates, including those from underrepresented groups.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that submitted materials do not infringe upon any third-party intellectual property rights.