PhD in cilia signaling | How do primary-cilium pathways contribute to human ciliopathies?

Project 2730 · Masaryk University · Department of Biology

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Country or region: Czechia
Application deadline: 2026-11-30 (confirm the exact time with the source)
Funding: The opportunity description lists salary from grant projects described as ongoing or future in the notice, combined with a MED MUNI scholarship. The 2026/27 topic, grant source and position-specific terms remain unconfirmed. The 2026/27 programme rules set at least CZK 26,880/month total doctoral income for eligible full-time Biomedical Sciences students during the standard eight semesters (including a scholarship minimum of CZK 12,000); this is not a confirmed net amount for this position.

The research opportunity

Project overview This experimental PhD project investigates how signaling pathways associated with primary cilia contribute to selected human ciliopathies. Cilia are organelles involved in cell signaling, cell-fate decisions and motility. The opportunity description says developmental ciliopathies are individually rare but collectively affect an estimated 1 in 500 people; ciliary dysfunction is also implicated in metabolic disorders and cancer.

Project work and research environment The student will use gene-edited cell lines, patient-derived primary cells and 3D organoids to model human ciliopathies, focusing on signaling pathways that operate in primary cilia and their contribution to disease mechanisms. The description names research tools in the lab and host department and access to instrumentation and services at the MUNI campus core facilities. It does not specify the exact disease, genes, pathways, model allocation or milestones. Comparing signaling changes across the named models is a possible research logic, not a promised work package. The project does not promise clinical intervention or therapy development.

The group studies mechanisms by which protein kinases interact with cilia. Its published work spans developmental ciliopathies and selected cancers; the team has also developed approaches for studying primary-cilium receptor signaling and models of polarity disorders, including cystic kidney disease. Dr Michaela Bosáková is a member of CiliaNet CZ. The project description reports collaborations with cilia researchers in the United States, United Kingdom and Czechia and says the lab has three international postdoctoral researchers and two PhD students. Specific collaborators, day-to-day supervision and allocation of core-facility access for this doctorate should be confirmed.

Application and funding The opportunity description says salary would come from grant projects described as ongoing or future when the notice was issued, combined with a MED MUNI scholarship, and says applications are possible until 30 November 2026. The 2026/27 Biomedical Sciences round required pre-registration and supervisor agreement before formal application. The admissions-page record for the 2026/27 round, reviewed on 7 November 2026, did not show this exact title. A closely matching supervisor topic and a similar 2025 Faculty topic sheet do not confirm that this particular place is open for Spring 2027.

The 2026/27 programme rules set a minimum total doctoral-study income of CZK 26,880 per month for eligible full-time Biomedical Sciences students during the standard eight semesters, composed of scholarship and qualifying dissertation-related salary; the scholarship minimum is CZK 12,000. These rules do not establish this position’s eligibility, net pay or salary/scholarship split. A similar 2025 Faculty topic sheet lists one first-author paper above the field median impact factor or two first-author Q3 papers as a during-study requirement, alongside a one-month overseas internship and teaching; this is an archived requirement, not a verified application threshold for the 2027 intake. Written confirmation is needed about which grant or grants support the position and their funding periods, the position-specific income, study mode, language, tuition status, after-standard-period support, and whether the 2025 archived doctoral-stage requirements apply to this place in the 2027 intake.

Research and application brief

Report generated: 2026-11-08. This date does not confirm that recruitment remains open.

Information updated: 2026-11-08. Recheck the original notice before applying.

Show report contents

PhD in cilia signaling | How do primary-cilium pathways contribute to human ciliopathies?

Quick Decision

Promising with material uncertainties. This experimental cell-biology doctorate asks how primary-cilium signaling contributes to selected human ciliopathies. The opportunity description names gene-edited cell lines, patient-derived primary cells and 3D organoids, with access to university core facilities; it is most relevant to applicants with a Master’s background in cell or molecular biology, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, genetics or a related field who want wet-lab disease-model research. The strongest scientific signal is supervisor Michaela Bosáková’s recent work on FGFR2 signaling from primary cilia. The 2026/27 application window closes 30 November 2026, and the supervisor must agree before a formal application is submitted.

The main decision risk is whether this exact topic is open for the Spring 2027 intake and what funding applies to it. A review of the supervisor page on 7 November 2026 found a closely matching ciliary-signaling topic listed as ongoing. The admissions-page record for the 2026/27 round did not show this exact title, while a 2025 Faculty topic sheet describes a similar project. The older sheet’s AZV grant reference is not proof of funding for the 2026/27 place. Confirm topic availability, study language/mode and position-specific income terms with the supervisor and programme coordinator before preparing the application.

Research Problem and Doctoral Work

What Is Unsolved and Why It Matters

Primary cilia are specialized cell-surface compartments that organize selected signaling machinery. Research treats them as active signaling hubs: GPCR, Hedgehog and polycystin signaling are established examples, while the field is still working out how proteins enter, leave and signal within the cilium. Disruption can contribute to a diverse group of developmental and homeostatic disorders called ciliopathies. Because phenotypes span tissues, a pathway defect must be interpreted in the relevant cell and disease context. Recent reviews emphasize both signaling mechanisms and the trafficking/barrier processes that maintain the ciliary compartment (cell-signaling review, ciliary transport and barrier review, development-and-disease review).

Work, Methods, and Potential Outputs

The advertised work is to investigate selected signaling pathways associated with primary cilia and their role in selected human ciliopathies. The supplied opportunity description names gene-edited cell lines, patient-derived primary cells and 3D organoids as disease models, and says the student can use the department’s tools and MUNI campus core facilities. A closely matching 2025 Faculty topic sheet independently describes the broad research aim and core-facility access (archived Faculty topic sheet).

The project description does not specify the exact ciliopathy, genes, pathways, model allocation or experimental milestones. Comparing selected ciliary-signaling changes across edited, patient-derived and organoid models is a plausible research logic, but an interpretation of the named tools, not a promised work package. The project description does not establish a clinical intervention or therapy-development deliverable. Ask which disease and pathway are chosen, how each model will be used, and what the student is expected to establish independently.

School, Programme and Field Context

The degree provider is the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. The programme collaborates with CEITEC MU and the International Clinical Research Center; the reviewed material describes them as programme/research partners, not separate degree-awarding institutions. Biomedical Sciences has specializations in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cell and Tissue Morphology, and Molecular Medicine. The standard duration is four years. Programme materials describe coursework, a Thesis Advisory Committee, an annual PhD conference and cross-programme training (programme profile, student environment, Faculty PhD studies).

There is a programme-language discrepancy to resolve: the general Biomedical Sciences profile in the 2026/27 materials lists Czech as the instruction language, while Faculty admissions materials for that round list English-language PhD programmes and interviews in English. The 2026 call also says successful applicants will be enrolled in the doctoral programme in the full-time or part-time mode as applicable. Confirm the exact specialization, teaching language and study mode in the application system and written admission terms.

For broad institutional context, Masaryk University is ranked 454 of 1,504 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Its QS 2026 subject position is 301–350 in Biological Sciences and 451–500 in Medicine; the university reports 301–400 in Biological Sciences in ShanghaiRanking’s 2026 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (QS overall ranking, QS subject rankings, ShanghaiRanking subject results). These broad rankings are background indicators; they do not rate this laboratory or topic. The programme page reports a 5.4-year average time to thesis submission against a four-year standard, but does not state the cohort window or reasons for delay. Treat this as a practical timeline question, not a prediction for an individual student.

Supervisor and Lab Assessment

Supervisor Research Directions

Michaela Bosáková is an assistant professor in the Department of Biology. Her listed ongoing supervision topics include “Ciliary signaling in human pathologies” and “Regulation of primary cilia by cellular kinases.” An official Faculty project page records a 2024–2027 Ministry of Health grant on FGFR2 cilia localization in glioblastoma, and previous work on primary cilia and gastruloids (supervision topics, project portfolio). This supports an active research environment in adjacent cilia-signaling questions, but the glioblastoma grant is separate and does not establish funding for this PhD.

The supplied opportunity description reports three international postdoctoral researchers and two PhD students in the lab, plus collaborations with researchers in the United States, United Kingdom and Czechia. The Faculty’s 2025 account of the FGFR2 paper confirms a wider collaborative team including MUNI Biology, Histology and Embryology, CEITEC MU and the University of Oslo. Confirm who would supervise day-to-day work, which collaborators are involved in this specific doctorate, and how core-facility access is arranged. MUNI describes institution-wide research infrastructure, including microscopy and other research services, but availability depends on project allocation and training (Faculty research account, MUNI research infrastructure).

Recent Important Publications

Nită et al. (2025), “FGFR2 residence in primary cilia is necessary for epithelial cell signaling.” The team showed that FGFR1 and FGFR2 localize to primary cilia in tested cell models and that ciliary residence is needed for FGFR2-driven signaling and target-gene expression. This is the closest paper to the advertised topic because it links receptor localization, ciliary trafficking and signaling. Its epithelial-cell models do not establish that the same mechanism applies to each patient-derived ciliopathy model (Journal of Cell Biology article).
Bosáková et al. (2025), “Endoplasmic reticulum stress disrupts signaling via altered processing of transmembrane receptors.” Across disease models, the authors connected ER stress to reduced maturation/surface abundance of several receptors and weaker downstream signaling, with rescue experiments. This shows broader receptor-processing expertise, but is not a cilia-specific study (Cell Communication and Signaling article).
Czyrek et al. (2025), “Increased thermal stability of FGF10 leads to ectopic signaling during development.” The team examined stabilized FGF10 variants in signaling assays, developmental models and human iPSC-derived lung organoids. This is relevant to growth-factor signaling and organoid experience, but does not show that FGF10 or lung organoids are part of this PhD (Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences article).
Csukasi et al. (2023), “Skeletal diseases caused by mutations in PTH1R show aberrant differentiation of skeletal progenitors due to dysregulation of DEPTOR.” This work relates receptor mutations to altered skeletal progenitor differentiation and DEPTOR-associated signaling. It is evidence of disease-mechanism work, but not direct evidence about ciliary signaling (Frontiers article).

The 2022 review on cilia kinases in skeletal development adds context to the supervisor group’s longstanding interest in ciliary regulation, but is a review rather than a new experimental result (Developmental Dynamics review). Together, the papers show a coherent research base in ciliary and receptor signaling, cell models and disease mechanisms. They do not independently confirm the advertised vacancy’s staffing, exact disease focus or guaranteed outputs.

Funding, Application, and Living Cost

Funding and Fees

The opportunity description states that salary from grant projects described as ongoing or future in the notice will be combined with a Faculty of Medicine scholarship. MED MUNI’s 2026/27 funding rules state that eligible full-time Biomedical Sciences candidates during the standard eight semesters receive at least CZK 26,880 per month in total doctoral study income, composed of a doctoral scholarship and eligible dissertation-related employment salary; the minimum scholarship is CZK 12,000 and must be applied for each semester. The programme page also states a minimum CZK 25,000/month support requirement after the standard period. This is not one universal scholarship amount: written terms should specify the salary/scholarship split, eligibility, gross/net take-home and what happens if study extends beyond four years (programme funding rules, university income policy).

A 2025 topic sheet with a closely matching cilia-pathology project names Czech Health Research Council funding and CZK 25,000 minimum support, but it is an archived prior call. A separate 2024–2027 Bosáková grant on cilia-localized FGFR2 concerns glioblastoma and is separately recorded; neither source proves which grant funds the 2027 PhD. Ask which grant or grants support this position, their funding periods and the written income terms. The Faculty says English-language PhD studies are tuition-free; the 2026/27 application page lists a CZK 600 application fee and notes that foreign degree recognition is a separate step (Faculty PhD studies, 2026/27 application requirements).

Application Conditions

The 2026/27 application round runs from 1 September to 30 November 2026, with successful applicants expected to begin in Spring 2027. Applicants first complete a pre-registration form; the official application should be filed only after the supervisor agrees to proceed. Required application documents include a CV, motivation/interest letter, diploma and transcript records, and two references (one from the Master’s thesis advisor); an English-language certificate is optional. Round 1 reviews the application (40/50 points to pass); the English interview is worth 50 points, and at least 85/100 overall is required, but this does not guarantee a place because positions are limited. Applicants abroad may interview by video conference. Foreign applicants may also need recognition of prior education and a visa, with timing handled individually (application process).

The closely matching 2025 topic sheet says publication activity is a during-study requirement: one first-author publication above the field median impact factor, or two first-author Q3 papers. It also lists a one-month foreign internship as a condition for completing the studies and teaching participation. These are not stated there as pre-admission publication requirements; confirm that the same Doctoral Board requirements apply to the 2027 intake (archived topic sheet).

Brno Cost Context

MUNI’s international guide lists shared university accommodation at about €130–280 per bed/month, a private shared apartment at €300–600 per bedroom/month, canteen meals at €4–6, and public transport at €11/month for students under 26 or €22/month for older students. The Czech government’s study portal estimates a basic student budget of €500–800/month and notes that Brno is among the more expensive student cities in the country. These are broad estimates, not a personal budget; utilities, insurance, deposits, visa costs and housing availability need separate checking (MUNI cost guide, Study in Czechia cost guide).

At the ECB reference rate on 3 November 2026, CZK 26,880 is approximately €1,104 as a simple conversion. This is not a take-home estimate: income may combine scholarship and employment salary, and the position-specific net amount and insurance treatment are not stated. Compare a written net monthly figure with available housing offers before accepting (ECB reference rate).

Applicant Fit and Preparation

Required Background and Skills

The official general admission rule requires a completed Master’s degree from an accredited university and a degree appropriate to the doctoral field; foreign credentials require recognition. The 2026 application instructions require a CV, motivation/interest letter, degree/transcript records and two references, including one from the Master’s thesis supervisor; an English certificate is optional. The publication threshold described in the archived topic sheet is phrased as a study-completion requirement, not an application prerequisite (Faculty PhD studies, application process, archived topic sheet).

Preferred Experience and Suggested Preparation

The project is most aligned with prior study or research in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, biomedical sciences or a nearby discipline. Because the advertised work is experimental, an applicant should be ready to explain relevant wet-lab research, experimental controls, cell-based signaling, genetic perturbation, primary-cell or 3D-model experience where actually held, and how they handled reproducibility and data interpretation. These are suggested ways to evidence readiness based on the named methods, not additional official entry requirements. Applicants without direct cilia experience can read the recent FGFR2 paper and explain how they would learn the selected disease pathway without claiming prior expertise. The programme interview covers the Master’s thesis, proposed topic, career plans and motivation.

A mainly computational or clinical-only profile may need a clear account of why a lab-based project is a good next step; the opportunity does not advertise a primarily computational or patient-facing doctorate. No individualized admissions or success prediction is possible from the available evidence.

Next Actions and Questions to Verify

Before Applying — act before 30 November 2026

Ask Michaela Bosáková and the programme coordinator whether this exact cilia-pathology topic is open for the Spring 2027 intake, what the formal topic title and specialization are, and whether they are accepting pre-registration materials.
Confirm the official study language and full-time/part-time mode for this position, given the conflicting language field in the general programme profile.
Request written funding terms for this specific place: grant source and end date, monthly scholarship and salary components, gross/net figures, employment contract, eligibility for the CZK 26,880 standard-period floor and arrangements after eight semesters.
Ask whether the one-month foreign internship, teaching and publication targets in the archived topic sheet remain Doctoral Board requirements for the 2027 cohort.
Check degree recognition, visa timeline and any foreign-education assessment fee if applicable; confirm all application documents and references can be ready by the deadline.

At Interview

Which ciliopathy and signaling pathway are already selected, and which choices remain open to the student?
How will gene-edited cell lines, patient-derived primary cells and organoids be allocated across the research question?
Who is the day-to-day supervisor, how often will the student meet the supervisor, and which collaborators or core-facility staff will provide training?
What are the first-year milestones, publication strategy and contingency plan if a patient model or organoid does not work as expected?
How are teaching hours balanced with research, and how is the foreign internship funded and scheduled?

Before Accepting an Offer

Obtain written confirmation of the project’s active funding term, monthly net income and employment/scholarship status, study mode and duration, tuition and other fees, foreign-student health/visa arrangements, access to the stated cell models and core facilities, supervision structure, and requirements after the standard four-year period. The programme reports a 5.4-year average time to thesis submission; ask what support and income are available if completion extends beyond the standard period.

Evidence and Sources

Project, Programme and Application

Supervisor, Lab and Research

Rankings, Field, Costs and Career Context

Sources

The listing may come from a university or recruitment platform. Check the notice and official sources in the report for current application requirements. View the recruitment source