New Discovery
- Nat. Immunol. 2021 (cover)
- Nature 2024a
- Nature 2024b
Discovery-based Engineering
- Nat. Biotech. 2024 (cover)
Clinical Impact
- Lancet Haematol. 2025
- Oral presentations at AACR, ASGCT, ASH, et.
EPFL | Tang Lab
A world-leading university specializing in science and engineering, EPFL is one of Switzerland’s two federal institutes of technology. It provides a world-class environment for research and education, powered by cutting-edge infrastructure—including the Laboratory of Biomaterials for Immunoengineering (Tang Lab). The Tang Lab is always seeking talented and highly motivated individuals to join the team.
We invite passionate and qualified candidates to apply for our PhD and postdoctoral positions. As a member of our team, you will conduct pioneering research at the intersection of biomaterials and immunoengineering, with access to state-of-the-art facilities and a collaborative, international environment.
PhD Candidates
Tang lab’s research aims at developing novel strategies to engineer immunity-disease interactions, an emerging field called ‘immunoengineering’, through chemical, metabolic, and mechanical means in order to treat cancer safely and effectively with immunotherapies. We are actively looking to recruit PhD students who are interested in this new field and would like to work in a highly interdisciplinary environment.
Highly motivated and talented students (bachelor or master) with excellent academic achievements in a major field of Immunology, Cancer Biology, Bioengineering, or a closely related discipline, are encouraged to apply for EPFL doctoral programs (EDBB or EDMS or EDMX, see http://phd.epfl.ch/programs for details).
Candidates with only a four-year Bachelor Degree are also considered (depending on the undergraduate institution and study/research performance there).
Postdoctoral Positions
Two postdoctoral positions open immediately
Two full-time postdoctoral position in cancer immunology and immunotherapy for a SNSF project are immediately available in the Tang lab (tang-lab.epfl.ch) at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), and Francesco Ceppi Group at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland. This collaborative project (4 years) among several groups (Tang, Ceppi, Mühlethaler-Mottet and Renella) aims at developing next-generation CAR-T cell therapy armed with type 2 immune function for enhanced efficacy and durability against neuroblastoma. The salaries and benefits for postdoctoral researchers are internationally competitive at EPFL and CHUV. The working language is English.
Tang lab’s research focuses on developing novel strategies to engineer the multi-dimensional immunity-disease interactions, an emerging field called ‘immunoengineering’, through metabolic, chemical, and mechanical means in order to treat cancer safely and effectively with immunotherapies. For more information, please see our website and recent publications, or contact Prof. Tang ([email protected]).
Ceppi Group at CHUV has long-established expertise in pediatric oncology and cell therapies, leading the Pediatric Platform for Immunotherapy & Cell Therapy (PEPITE). Ceppi group is committed to advancing translational research with the goal of developing and delivering innovative cellular therapies for children with relapsed or refractory pediatric malignancies. For more information, please see our website (Hématologie-oncologie pédiatrique – Département femme-mère-enfant – CHUV) and recent publications, or contact F Ceppi ([email protected]).
Postdoc position 1 – co-advised by Ceppi and Tang
The candidate working at CHUV will develop CAR-T cells with synergized type 1 and type 2 immune function and assess their efficacy in mouse models of neuroblastoma. Through close collaboration with the group of Mühlethaler-Mottet (PhD) and Renella (MD/PhD), the candidate will further investigate the metabolic reprogramming of CAR-T cells in the tumor microenvironment, and perform the preclinical evaluation of human CAR-T cells using patient-derived models.
Postdoc position 2 – advised by Tang
The candidate working at EPFL will systemically investigate and determine the role of type 2 immune function and its synergy with type 1 immunity in cancer, and to further develop next-generation therapeutic strategies that orchestrate type 1 and type 2 immune responses against cancer. In addition, the candidate will investigate the metabolic modulation of immune cells, in particular, exhausted lymphocyte in the tumor microenvironment. The candidate is expected to develop close collaboration with clinicians at CHUV (Ceppi (MD), Mühlethaler-Mottet (PhD), and Renella (MD/PhD)) to facilitate the translation of the discoveries of new immunotherapies.
Requirements:
- The candidates are expected to have strong expertise and experimental background in immunology, cancer immunotherapy, immune metabolism, mouse studies, and patient-derived models.
- Being willing to work in a highly interdisciplinary environment.
- Having track-record in publishing peer-reviewed journal articles as the first author in tier 1 journals
- Being self-motivated.
- Having good communication skills (writing and speaking in English).
Responsibilities:
- Take the lead of the project and prepare regular reports
- Publish research results in tier 1 journals
- Assist PI in grant writing
- Present data at conferences and lab meetings
- Help PI on leading the organization and maintenance of the lab
- Train junior lab members
Application process
We will begin reviewing applications from 20 October 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. Priority will be given to applications received by 30 November 2025:
Step 1: Interested postdoc candidates please apply by filling the Google form using the link:
Step 2: After filling the Google form, please send a curriculum vitae, a cover letter, and the names of three referees to Prof. Li Tang.
For detailed information about these postitions, please see our job opening description.
Highly ranked worldwide, EPFL is one of two federal universities in Switzerland and one of Europe’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan science and technology institutions. It offers an exceptional research and training environment with state-of-the-art facilities. Among these is the Laboratory of Biomaterials for Immunoengineering (Tang Lab), located on the second floor of the MED building. You can take a virtual tour of the lab by navigating on EPFL Virtual Tour: ME&MED → Menu → Laboratory of Biomaterials for Immunoengineering (Tang).
The CHUV is located in the heart of the “Health Valley” on the shores of the Leman , Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), near the charming city of Lausanne. Since 2019, the CHUV has been consistently ranked among the world’s best by the US magazine Newsweek. As one of Switzerland’s five university-affiliated public healthcare centers, the CHUV plays a leading role in medical care, research, teaching, and training, in close collaboration with the Faculty of Biology and Medicine at the University of Lausanne. The new Children’s Hospital opened on 14 May 2025, marking the completion of a complex building project that began in 2019 in the heart of the Lausanne hospital complex.Immunotherapy for children – Lausanne University Hospital