Job Erasmus MC - Ph.D. Student

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous malignant disease, characterized by uncontrolled clonal outgrowth of hematopoietic progenitors, blocked at different stages of differentiation. There is growing body of evidence suggesting possible roles for microRNAs in cancer and in hematopoiesis.

We have recently demonstrated that microRNA expression patterns in AML reveal distinctive signatures that are associated with specific leukemia genotypes. Furthermore, we identified microRNAs with aberrant expression in AML as compared with normal hematopoietic progenitors. Our preliminary functional experiments revealed that candidate microRNAs induce a block in myeloid differentiation in vitro. Therefore, we hypothesize that the aberrant expression of candidate microRNAs in AML may be implicated in leukemogenesis.

In the current project aberrant expression of candidate microRNAs in human AML will be studied in relationship to treatment outcome and hematological features using clinically and molecularly fully characterized biobank of clinical specimens. Furthermore, we will investigate the function of candidate microRNA in transcriptional reprogramming of myelopoiesis contributing to development of AML.

We wish to identify en experimentally validate candidate microRNA targets involved in stress response, cell cycle, apoptosis and differentiation using Ago2-RISC-mRNA immunoprecipitation approach. The transforming abilities of candidate microRNAs will be evaluated in vitro and in vivo in a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation model in mice. Hematopoietic effects will be assessed with pathology/cytology/immunophenotyping and transfer experiments (stem cell renewal).

The Ph.D. student should have an interest in medicine/(molecular) biology or a related field to conduct research into the role of the microRNAs in the pathogenesis van AML.

The appointment concerns a full-time (36 hours per week) position for a period of 4-years. Salary is according to the standard payment of Ph.D. students in the Netherlands, meaning € 2.086,- per month (gross) in the first year increasing up to € 2.673,- per month (gross) in the final year (scale OIO).

Erasmus MC is an internationally recognized center for high-quality, compassionate care, highly rated transfer of knowledge and high-quality knowledge development in the fields of illness and health.

The department of Hematology at the Erasmus Medical Center runs an ambitious research program in the field of hematological malignancies (e.g. leukemia, myeloma, lymphoma) and coagulation with an orientation on normal and neoplastic development of blood cells and lymphoid organs and stem cell research, both with basic, translational and clinical focus, and it accommodates a state of the art infrastructure for cell biological, genomic and clinically applied research.

For information regarding this vacancy, please contact Mojca Jongen-Lavrencic M.D, Ph.D., e-mail: m.lavrencic@erasmusmc.nl. For additional information please contact Mrs. Sandra de Wringer, HR Advisor, (+31) (10) 703 4145, e-mail: a.dewringer@erasmusmc.nl.