Are you a team player interested in a PhD position with a direct link to clinical patient care? We are looking for an enthusiastic PhD candidate in the field of antidepressant pharmacotherapy and pharmacogenetics.

Background
Current antidepressant dosing strategies are considered as suboptimal as the dosing process is protracted and is frequently accompanied by severe adverse effects. Pharmacogenetics informed dosing is an innovative strategy that may help to address this problem.

In the PITA study (Pharmacogenetics for Individualized Tricyclic Antidepressant dosing) we compare pharmacogenetics informed dosing of Tricyclic Antidepressants (based on a genetic test of the enzyme crucial for drug processing) to care as usual. We hypothesize that pharmacogenetics based personalized dosing will result in a decrease of adverse effects, faster attainment of a therapeutic drug level and earlier treatment response. In addition, we will evaluate if this innovative strategy results in reductions in health care related costs. The PITA study is a ZonMW sponsored (Program: Goed Geneesmiddelen Gebruik) multicentre randomized controlled trial. We will screen more than 600 patients for this study. The inclusion is already ongoing.

Candidates should have affinity to the areas of clinical psychiatry, pharmacology and genetics. They have excellent social skills and are able to perform clinical patient visits and coordinate and monitor progress in a complex multi-centre environment.

The PhD student will be a member of an enthusiastic and ambitious multidisciplinary team. We offer a welcoming and stimulating working environment.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Performing clinical study visits;
• Coordination of the study & data collection;
• Performing statistical analysis;
• Writing scientific papers;
• Giving oral presentations;
• Supervising research students.

• MSc Medicine or MSc Biomedical Sciences;
• Verifiable research interest;
• Experience with statistical methods and data-analysis (recommended);
• Affinity for working with psychiatric patients;
• Excellent social and coordination skills;
• Independent and well-structured working style;
• Ambitious worker and team-player;
• Good writing and presentation skills;
• Fluent Dutch ability (speaking, reading, writing);
• Stress resistance.

The gross monthly salary, depending on education will be scale 10A (max. € 3.020) or scale 10 (max. € 4.361) based on a full-time working week (excl. vacation bonus and 8,3% end of year payments).

Radboudumc
Radboudumc strives to be a leading developer of sustainable, innovative and affordable healthcare to improve the health and wellbeing of people and society in the Netherlands and beyond. This is the core of our mission: To have a significant impact on healthcare. To get a better picture of what this entails, check out our strategy.

Read more about what it means to work at Radboudumc and how you can do your part.

Radboudumc

The Department of Psychiatry's research focuses on psychiatric disorders (especially stress-related and neurodevelopmental disorders) and aims to improve the care we provide the patients. The department is part of the Radboudumc and participates in the Donders Institute.

Radboudumc
Radboudumc strives to be a leading developer of sustainable, innovative and affordable healthcare to improve the health and wellbeing of people and society in the Netherlands and beyond. This is the core of our mission: To have a significant impact on healthcare. To get a better picture of what this entails, check out our strategy.

Read more about what it means to work at Radboudumc and how you can do your part.