The postdoc we are recruiting will take a central role in the development of novel therapeutic strategies for EYS- and USH2A-associated retinal disease.

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are progressive disorders that can lead to severe visual impairment or even complete blindness. Long considered incurable, advances over the last decade have made it possible to treat these disorders, with the first gene therapy recently approved as new drug by the FDA and EMA. Yet, there are still many subtypes of IRD for which no treatment is available.In the context of a European collaborative project, funded by the European Joint Programme for Rare Diseases, we aim to develop state-of-the-art genetic therapies for IRD caused by EYS or USH2A mutations. Our lab uses various tailor-made models (iPSC-derived retinal organoids and zebrafish) to study the efficacy and safety of novel therapeutic strategies, with the incentive to translate promising findings directly to patient care.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Plan and perform scientific in vitro and in vivo experiments in an independent manner.
• Critically analyze data.
• Supervise junior scientists (technicians, MSc/BSc students) in the lab.
• Take a leading role in writing manuscripts.
• Present data at local, national and international scientific meetings.
• Participate in educational tasks.

Candidates must have obtained their PhD degree in the last three years (or submitted their thesis to the manuscript committee), in the field of molecular and/or cellular biology. They need to have a strong experimental background in molecular (genetic) research, including studies with DNA, RNA and/or protein (e.g. PCR, cloning, RT-PCR, Western Blot, immunocytochemistry), and cell culture. Ideally candidates should have hands-on experience with either induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) culturing and differentiation, and/or working with zebrafish. Permission to work with animals (article 9, or a foreign equivalent) is a must.

Finally, candidates should have strong communication skills (both orally and in writing), a critical scientific attitude, a high level of ambition, and should be able to work both independently as well as in a team.

Fixed-term contract: 3 years.

Working at Radboud university medical center means that you are ahead of the curve and working together on the healthcare of the future. But 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.

• In addition to your monthly salary and an annual vacation allowance of 8%, you will receive 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.

In addition to our terms of employment, we also offer employees various other attractive facilities, such as childcare and sports facilities. Want to learn more? Take a look at the CAO UMC.

Radboudumc

The "Molecular Therapy for Inherited Retinal Diseases" group, headed by Prof. dr. Rob Collin, and his colleague Dr. Alex Garanto, aims to develop various therapeutic interventions for inherited retinal diseases, with a strong focus on splice modulation and RNA therapies. The laboratory is shared with the group of Dr. Erwin van Wijk that focuses on a better understanding and the development of genetic therapies for inherited hearing impairment and Usher syndrome. The project will be conducted within these two research groups.

The research is embedded at the Department of Human Genetics within the Radboudumc in Nijmegen, which is internationally renowned for its research and diagnostics on a variety of genetic and genomic disorders. The Department offers an exciting working environment with enthusiastic people from many parts of the world enjoying high quality research.

Radboudumc
Radboud university medical center is a university medical center for patient care, scientific research, and education in Nijmegen. Radboud university medical center strives to be at the forefront of shaping the healthcare of the future. We do this in a person-centered and innovative way, and in close collaboration with our network. We want to have a significant impact on healthcare. We want to improve with each passing day, continuously working towards better healthcare, research, and education. And gaining a better understanding of how diseases arise and how we can prevent, treat, and cure them, day in and day out. This way, every patient always receives the best healthcare, now and in the future. Because that is why we do what we do.

Read more about our strategy and what working at Radboud university medical center means. Our colleagues would be happy to tell you about it. #weareradboudumc