The Berlin Hub for Science and Society (BHS2) is an integral bridging programme of the newly established Cluster of Excellence ImmunoPreCept, which explores the health–disease bifurcation for cell-based molecular prevention and interceptive medicine. Within this Cluster, BHS2 strengthens structured, evidence-based connections between biomedical research and society.
BHS2 conceptualises public engagement as both a field of research and a practice within biomedical research ecosystems and investigates how engagement shapes (i) research trajectories and innovation dynamics, (ii) researcher competencies and institutional research culture, (iii) societal attitudes, health-related behaviours and trust formation, and (iv) policy discourses and evidence-informed decision-making. Our work is explicitly practice-led and research-informed, generating empirical evidence from engagement practice while also translating research insights into institutional and sector-leading approaches.
The Position
The Cluster of Excellence ImmunoPreCept including BHS2 invite applications from outstanding individuals with a strong track record of impactful research and practice in science communication and public engagement with research (SCaPE). The successful candidate will establish and lead an independent junior research group with a clearly articulated, practice-inspired, and empirically grounded research agenda in public engagement research. The position offers a unique opportunity to shape an emerging field at the intersection of biomedical innovation, science–society relations, and institutional transformation within a dynamic interdisciplinary Cluster focused on precision prevention and interceptive medicine. The successful candidate will be expected to:
• Shape and lead a novel research and innovation area at the interface of biomedical science and society, translating empirical insights into impactful engagement practices and institutional strategies.
• Identify critical gaps within current SCaPE practice that would benefit from robust empirical investigation.
• Develop an independent and internationally visible research program on science–society relations, responsible innovation, and health communication, closely connected to cutting-edge biomedical research and real-world societal challenges.
• Build a strong interdisciplinary network and research group by collaborating with ImmunoPreCept investigators and establishing partnerships across biomedical sciences, social sciences, clinical practice, and societal stakeholders in Berlin and beyond.
This role involves both intellectual leadership and operational responsibility. The group leader will manage and further develop BHS2 as a recognized center of excellence in practice-led public engagement research, strengthening its visibility and influence across academic, policy, and practitioner communities. The position includes active supervision of doctoral researchers and contributions to graduate training within the Cluster.
Research Scope
ImmunoPreCept advances a paradigm shift from treating manifest disease to intervening at the level of early molecular deviation, often before symptoms arise. This transformation raises profound societal, professional, ethical, and epistemic questions. The group leader is expected to develop a research program that critically examines the challenges associated with molecular prevention, pre-symptomatic intervention, and the integration of new biomedical avenues into healthcare systems, public discourse, and professional practice, such as:
• Societal and ethical dimensions of molecular prevention, including the negotiation of concepts such as “pre-disease” and “molecular risk,” and the implications of early, risk-based interventions for autonomy, responsibility, and clinical decision-making.
• Challenges in science communication, trust, and misinformation in contested biomedical domains, as well as challenges in integrating precision prevention into healthcare systems, identifying regulatory, clinical, and insurance frameworks.
• Participation and co-creation in biomedical innovation, focusing on the role of patients, citizens, and professional stakeholders, by participatory formats, digital tools, and citizen science to embed molecular prevention in society.
Research designs may include comparative, longitudinal, intervention-based, experimental, discourse-analytical, or participatory approaches. Reflexive and transdisciplinary designs that examine engagement as both object and instrument of research are particularly encouraged.
Positioning
We offer funding for 5 years with an attractive start-up package that includes your salary (according to the German public salaries, TVöD Bund/Ost depending on the personal requirements, up to the salary group EG15), personnel allocation (negotiable), annual consumables, and opportunities to recruit centrally funded students from ImmunoPreCept´s international PhD fellowship programs.
For further information, please visit our website www.immunoprecept.de. Enquiries about the positions and perspectives should be addressed to immunoprecept-career@charite.de and Prof. Dr. Johannes Vogel (Johannes.Vogel@mfn.berlin).
Apply here: https://karriere.charite.de/en/job-vacancies/detail/7474
- Region: Berlin
- Arbeitgeber:
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- ImmunoPreCept - Cluster of Excellence
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin is one of Europe\\\'s leading academic medical centers, renowned for excellence in research, education, and patient care. Together with its partner institutions, Charité is home to the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoPreCept, an interdisciplinary research consortium funded under Germany\\\'s Excellence Strategy. ImmunoPreCept investigates the mechanisms of the immune system to enable earlier disease detection, deepen our understanding of disease development, and advance innovative approaches to prevention and personalized medicine. The position will e located at one of ImmunoPreCept\\\'s partners, the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.
- Museum für Naturkunde, a Leibniz Insitute
- Vergütung: TVöD Bund/Ost E15
- Stelle zu besetzen ab: now
- Bewerbungsschluss: 15.08.2026
- Link zur Stelle:https://karriere.charite.de/en/job-vacancies/detail/7474
- Kontaktinformationen:
