Job Description

The Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology (CCII) is recruiting Junior Group Leaders. Candidates from all areas of immunology, immunotherapy, cancer, and metabolism are invited to apply. This is an exciting opportunity for outstanding young researchers to launch their independent research careers in a supportive environment that includes both basic and clinical research. CCII Junior Group Leaders will receive generous salary and research support.
Selected candidates will benefit from the freedom to pursue their own research themes in a non-hierarchical setting. CCII encourages collaboration between researchers working in pre-clinical and clinical models, and researchers can also benefit from collaborations with Kyoto University’s hospital system, first-in-human facilities, and biobank.

CCII was established in April 2020 by founding Director Tasuku Honjo, with mixed public and private funding. It is affiliated with the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine.  In 2024, the CCII research community moved to its new home, the Bristol Meyrs Squibb Building, designed by visionary architect Tadao Ando. Junior Group leaders will have access to the center’s state-of-the-art facilities, including dedicated bioinformatics, animal, and multiomics platforms. CCII research divisions focus on a broad range of topics in basic and clinical research: for details and a list of researchers please check .

CCII and Kyoto University host a wide variety of seminars, conferences, and workshops. New Group Leaders will enjoy regular opportunities to interact with leading researchers from around the world, with Kyoto being a major hub for international scientific meetings.  

Eligibility.
- A PhD or MD-PhD in any STEM discipline (candidates with undergraduate and graduate training in mathematics, physics, computational sciences and related fields are strongly encouraged to apply; PhD research-equivalent MDs will be considered on a case-by-case basis).
- Three years or more of postdoctoral experience. Junior Group Leader positions are intended to support new PIs, but candidates with two years or less of experience running their own lab may be considered.

The position.
- Salary of 8.5 million yen/year.
- Research budget of 20 million yen/year.
- Five years, renewable for an additional 3 years (after an evaluation stage).
- Financial assistance for relocation costs.
- MEXT Mutual Aid Association, employee pension insurance, industrial accident compensation insurance, and employment insurance.

Submission documentation and information
- A research plan and cover letter.
- A current curriculum vitae.
- Financial assistance for relocation costs.
- Brief narrative summary of your main research achievements.
- Contact information for three references (please specify their connection to you, e.g. thesis supervisor, postdoctoral advisor, department head etc.).

Call Deadline: July 31st, 2025. Candidates who pass the first stage of selection will be contacted before the end of September to schedule interviews.

For more information, please visit

Please submit inquiries and/or applications to

Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology (CCII)
Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
E-mail: recruit_ccii[at]mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp (please replace [at]with @).
In the email subject line, please include the phrase "CCII Young Group Leaders".

Job Tags

Similar Jobs