Vacancy PhD candidate 'Personalized mass spectrometric analysis of antibodies to improve diagnostics for patients with hematological malignancies'

Job description

Monoclonal gammopathies (MG) such as multiple myeloma and AL amyloidosis are common hematological malignancies that are characterized by monoclonal expansion of plasma cells in the bone marrow. These plasma cells produce monoclonal antibodies (M-proteins) that provide a unique cancer-biomarker. M-protein diagnostics is crucial for diagnosis, risk-stratification and follow-up of MM patients. Current M-protein diagnostics has two important drawbacks:

• It is not sensitive enough to detect Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) and
• It does not measure the pathogenicity of the M-protein.

• To investigate and optimize the clinical applicability of our recently developed MS-MRD blood-test in different MG (suggested reading: Zajec, Langerhorst et al. Clin Chem 2020 PMID 32031591)  
• Investigate the molecular mechanisms of M-protein pathogenicity in order to predict and prevent M-protein induced organ damage in patients with MG.

• You will be responsible for the design, organization and the execution of the experiments.
• You will communicate the results to the supervisors, present data on international meetings, and write scientific papers. 

Department

The Laboratory of Medical Immunology (LMI) performs research and diagnostics for patients with immune related disorders. The main research topic is immune regulation from a translational perspective: designing new strategies for immunotherapy, and defining biomarkers to monitor immune status and treatment efficacy in patients suffering from transplant related or (auto)inflammatory disorders or cancer. LMI has strong collaboration partners in the fields of onco-immunology, inflammatory sciences, and vaccination strategies. PhD students will actively participate in the Radboudumc graduate school.

Translational metabolic Laboratory (Department of Genetics)
The Translational Metabolic Laboratory (TML) bridges patient care and translational research in inherited metabolic disorders. TML harbors a range of top researchers in the areas of inherited metabolic diseases, disorders of movement, mitochondrial diseases, protein glycosylation and more. Our key technologies are mass spectrometry, next generation sequencing and a multitude of functional tests. TML scientists are part of large multi-omics programs, such as the Netherlands X-omics Initiative.

Profile

For this project, we are looking for an ambitious PhD student with strong analytical and communicative skills. This four-year project should culminate in a PhD thesis. We are looking for someone with a master's degree in (Medical) Biology, Molecular Life Sciences, Technical Medicine, Chemistry or related discipline. Experience with immunological- and molecular analyses, mass spectrometry, statistics using large data-sets. Skilled to pick up and perform novel complex technologies.

In addition you possess the profile below:

• An independent and well-structured working style, demanding high quality of your own work.
• Well-developed social skills directed to work in a multidisciplinary team, excellent interpersonal and communicative skills.
• Strong motivation to master novel complex technologies and succeed in scientific research.
• Excellent presentation and scientific writing skills.

Terms of employment

The salary depends on education. Scale 10 will be offered to MSc medical graduates; those holding degrees in other disciplines will be offered scale 10A.

Working at Radboud university medical center means that you are ahead of the curve and working together on the healthcare of the future. And there is more. Our secondary terms of employment are impressive. These are fully tailored to you thanks to our Employment Conditions Selection Model. At Radboud university medical center, you will be given trust, and you will take the responsibility to handle everything together. We provide annual courses, both professional and personal.

• A gross monthly salary between € 2.789 and € 3.536 (scale 10A) or between € 3.230 and € 5.088 (scale 10) based on full-time employment.  
• From 1 November 2023 the wages will increase by 4%.
• An annual vacation allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
• If you work irregular hours, you will receive an allowance.
• As a full-time employee (36 hours per week), you are entitled to approximately 168 vacation hours (over 23 days) per year.
• Radboud university medical center pays 70% of the pension premium. You pay the rest of the premium with your gross salary.
• You get a discount on health insurance as well: you can take advantage of two group health insurance plans. UMC Zorgverzekering and CZ collectief.

Application procedure

Will you make a difference for our patients? We would like to receive your application before 16 June 2023. We will then contact you shortly. The first interview round takes place on 26 June or 27 June 2023. We would appreciate it if you would take this into account.

What else can you expect?

When you begin employment, we will request a certificate of conduct (VOG) and, depending on the position, you may be screened. You do not need to do anything for this; we will inform you later. 
 
Radboud university medical center is an employer that welcomes everyone. Every colleague brings valuable experience, expertise, and creativity. We believe in the benefits of a diverse and inclusive organization. #weareradboudumc

Read more about our application procedure or take a look at the frequently asked questions. 
 
We are recruiting for this vacancy ourselves. We only accept applications directly from the applicants themselves, but intermediaries are welcome to share our vacancies in their networks.​

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