PhD Position in Biomedical Ethics within MSCA Doctoral Network MMM, Munich, Germany

PhD Position in Biomedical Ethics at LMU Munich (Germany)

Modern medicine seeks to personalize diagnosis and treatment to the needs of individual patients. This need is heightened in particular for those individual patients where no treatments are available – and where current standard treatment development paradigms exclude to generate such. The ultimate goal of Medicine made to Measure (MMM) is to go even beyond the latest genetic medicine approaches, implementing a novel paradigm of treatment development: the field of single patient tailored antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) treatments for patients with nano-rare disease mutations. Specifically, MMM will develop core modules of a novel “out-of-the-box”, but still EMA-advised treatment development path for these patients - from omics-based theranostics, via preclinical target validation to innovative trial methodology and a pioneering ethical framework for individualised genetic therapies. MMM provides a unique opportunity for doctoral candidates to be involved in building - and to receive training - in all core modules needed for tailored ASO treatment in Europe. This new scientific field requires a new generation of open-minded, technology-fluent and applications-oriented experts.

MMM will help educate future drug development and translational experts in adopting and disseminating such a cross-specialty approach. Our idea for this innovative training network is built on our personal experience and understanding of the importance of single patient tailored genetic treatments in the years to come. We propose a consortium of world-leading experts and partners that present with extended experience and relevant know-how in molecular biology, neurology, translational medicine, biochemistry, bioinformatics, philosophy, mathematics, regulatory science and engineering.

We offer an attractive education and training programme that extends from engagements in high-level research projects, through tailored and network-wide training modules to providing competencies and skill sets that help young researchers go beyond the specific MMM research paradigm. Thus, MMM provides an exceptional platform to young, ambitious and talented researchers who like to engage in supporting the concept of single patient tailored treatments.

PhD PROJECT: Ethical foundations and implications of tailored genetic treatments