Job Maastricht University - Promovendus, PhD student FHML/School for Cardiovascular Diseases/CARIM/Cardiology

We are looking for a very motivated PhD student to perform research and obtain her/his PhD degree in the field of cardiovascular diseases. He/she will work within the very dynamic Cardiovascular Research institute Maastricht, within the group of the Centre of Heart Failure Research, in close collaboration with E. Lutgens, dep. of Pathology.

Heart failure due to hypertension or viral infections in the heart represents an important cause of heart failure and sudden death in young previously healthy adults (age 18 up to 60 years). This project provides and open position for a PhD student (AIO position), to study the implication of CD40 in cardiac inflammation, and resulting fibrosis and hypertrophy during heart failure, using CD40 knockout animals, in vitro studies, molecular studies on cardiac tissues, and FACS analysis in blood. The PhD student will perform additional studies to study the implication of additional inflammation pathways in the development of cardiac inflammation, leading to progressive cardiac fibrosis and failure.

The project will focus on

1. CD154-CD40-TRAF interactions in the progression of HF during hypertensive heart disease (HD):

2.  CD40-mediated induction of Th17-lymphocytes as a central pathway by which it increases cardiac failure in hypertensive HD. 

This work is embedded in the Cardiovascular Research Institute of Maastricht, University of Maastricht, within the department of Cardiology (Stephane Heymans), in close collaboration with the dept. of Pathology  (Esther Lutgens).

A very motivated, eager, and smart PhD student, willing to perform in depth research within the cardiovascular field, with a particular focus on inflammation and heart failure.

Sufficient experience in molecular techniques, including PCR, immunoblotting, etc…
Experience with animal work and in vitro  setups is of additional value.

The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/ , A-Z Terms of Employment.

Temporary employment for 4 years.

Your salary would be € 2.042,-- gross per month in the first year up to € 2.612,-- gross per month in the fourth year according to the PhD-student salary scale.

Each year an evaluation will take place.

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 14,000 students and 3,500 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience.

Prof. dr. S. Heymans, department of Cardiology

Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM)

Tel.: +31-(0)43-3877097

E-mail S.Heymans@cardio.unimaas.nl