Job Erasmus MC - Ph.D. student / junior researcher in pain research

The project

Chronic joint pain is very common in the elderly and a major reason for disability and reduced quality of life. Classically, joint pain has been attributed to damage in the joint (osteoarthritis). However, only 30-60% of the individuals with joint damage also experience pain. Why do some people develop chronic pain while the other does not with similar joint damage? This is the central question in the project (entitled ‘Genetic dissection of osteoarthritis-related pain’) with the aim of unravelling the aetiology of joint pain using a large scale population genetic approach. This project is funded by a prestigious VIDI-award from the Dutch Science Foundation (NWO).

You will be responsible for the conduct of the project and will analyze the data from the Rotterdam Study together with a multidisciplinary group researchers. You will be involved in the implementation of new measurements to assess pain-sensitivity in the Rotterdam Study. In addition, (genetic) epidemiology analysis will be a major part of the project which includes cutting-edge analysis of genome-wide association data and a large scale international collaboration with other groups around the world. The results of this research will be published in international scientific journals. Depending on the qualifications of the candidate, NIHES courses in Epidemiology are offered.

• MSc, preferably in (bio)medical sciences;
• Interest in (genetic) epidemiology;
• Ability to work independently and work as part of multidisciplinary teams consisting of clinicians, biologists, epidemiologists, and (bio)informaticians.

We offer a position for 4 years. The gross monthly salary, dependent on education and experience, amounts to maximum € 2.673,- (scale OIO) for a Ph.D. candidate, based on a full-time working week. The terms of employment are accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement for University Medical Centers (CAO UMC).

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 goal of the genetic laboratory within the Department of Internal Medicine is to identify and analyze genetic risk factors in common age-related complex diseases (“Complex Genetics”). The focus is on locomotor diseases (osteoporosis and osteoarthritis) and other endocrine diseases and traits (diabetes, menopause, CVD, etc.). Much of the rapid progress in this field is driven by the fast development of techniques for determining variants in DNA - an area in which our laboratory plays a leading role. Our internationally orientated laboratory currently is home to over 30 coworkers and is offering a stimulating and multidisciplinary research environment. The research will be conducted largely in the Rotterdam Study, a prospective cohort study that started in 1990 and is conducted in about 15,000 participants aged 45 years and over.

For information regarding this vacancy, please contact Dr J.B.J. van Meurs, e-mail: j.vanmeurs@erasmusmc.nl. For additional information please contact Mr. R.H.J. Breen, HRM consultant, telephone (+31) (10) 703 1179.