PhD Candidate for Glucocorticoid Modulation of Myeloid Cell Inflammatory States – Nijmegen, Netherlands

Are you a team-oriented PhD candidate with an interest in molecular biology and large datasets? And would you like to learn and work in a multidisciplinary team in an innovative laboratory environment? Then, come and join the lively and world-class RIMLS-Science Institute and work towards understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying innate immunity.

Hematopoietic stem cells give rise to all blood cell types, including myeloid granulocytes and phagocytes. These play roles in immunity as workhorses for inflammation and its resolution. We are looking for a PhD Candidate who is eager to participate in our team and to study how glucocorticoids regulate myeloid cell behaviour, focusing, on granulocytes. State-of-the-art induced pluripotent stem cells and techniques such as CRISPR gene editing, ATAC-, ChIP-, RNA-seq, quantitative mass spec and novel bioinformatics approaches will be used to gain a better insight into myeloid cell based anti-inflammatory signalling to identify new therapeutic targets for unwanted glucocorticoid side effects in the context of autoimmune/immune conditions and cancer. As a member of the Department of Molecular Biology, you will enter our four-year PhD programme at Radboud University. Your teaching load may be up to 10% of your working time.

Profile

• You have a Master’s degree in molecular or cellular biology, biomedical sciences, molecular life sciences or a related field.
• You have experience in one or more of the following areas: molecular biology and cell biology techniques, cell purification, interpretation of mass-spectrometry data, next-generation sequencing data, single-cell approaches, and gene regulation.
• You have experience in computational analysis.
• You have strong analytical skills and a problem-solving and result-oriented attitude.
• You are a highly communicative and team science-minded professional.
• You have a good command of English and Dutch, or the willingness to learn.

We are

This project will be executed at the Department of Molecular Biology. Research conducted by Colin Logie currently focuses on the molecular mechanisms that underlie glucocorticoid action in myeloid lineage white blood cells.

The department of Molecular Biology is part of the Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS-Science), which is one of the six research institutes of the Faculty of Science at Radboud University. The overarching aim of RIMLS-Science is to decipher molecular mechanisms of disease. Research areas of RIMLS-Science include epigenetics, stem-cell and developmental biology, and computational biology. The central research theme is regulation of gene expression during development and in health and disease. Essential tools used at the institute include next-generation sequencing, mass spectrometry, single-cell (multi-omics) analysis and computational analysis and method development. To perform state-of-the-art research, RIMLS-Science operates its own wet-lab and computational facilities. This fundamental and applied research in medical biology and molecular life sciences has clear links to biochemical research performed at the Institute for Molecules and Materials and other institutes of the Faculty of Science as well as to more clinically oriented research programmes at departments within the Radboud university medical center. RIMLS-Science actively contributes to teaching activities in the Biology study programme at Radboud University. RIMLS-Science currently has about 50 researchers (including 30 PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers) and provides a vibrant and international working environment.

Radboud University

We are keen to meet critical thinkers who want to look closer at what really matters. People who, from their expertise, wish to contribute to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This ambition unites more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University and requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!

We offer

• It concerns an employment for 0.8 (5 year contract) – 1.0 FTE (4 year contract).
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,770 per month based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,539 from the fourth year onwards (salary scale P).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will be employed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract) or 3.5 years (5 year contract).
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 29 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Additional employment conditions

Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University’s primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

Would you like more information?

For questions about the position, please contact Colin Logie, Associate Professor, at +31 24 361 05 25 or c.logie@science.ru.nl.

Practical information and applying

You can apply until 10 September 2023, exclusively using the button below. Kindly address your application to Colin Logie. Please fill in the application form and attach the following documents:

• A letter of motivation.
• Your CV.

The first round of interviews will take place in the week of 18 September. You would preferably begin employment as soon as possible.

We can imagine you’re curious about our application procedure. It offers a rough outline of what you can expect during the application process, how we handle your personal data and how we deal with internal and external candidates.

Apply now

Application deadline 10 September 2023