We have a vacancy for a PhD candidate to work on an exciting preclinical project to elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment effects after experimental stroke. Working together with experts in neuroscience, neurology, pathology and imaging, you will perform MRI, optical imaging and histology in rodent models to measure the outcome of novel acute stroke interventions. Intraarterial therapy strategies have recently revolutionized the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. However, eligibility for the therapy is limited, and outcomes often poor. Incomplete microvascular reperfusion despite recanalization of the occluded artery may be a major contributor to the poor outcome. Your project is aimed to elucidate mechanisms of incomplete microvascular reperfusion to develop novel stroke treatments. You will address the temporal aspects of ischemia-reperfusion and its (patho)physiological consequences using imaging methods such as perfusion MRI, molecular MRI, and laser-speckle flowmetry in animal models. You will team up with national and international partners to relate your imaging findings to blood biomarkers and pathological measures. A strong emphasis on the application of (novel) imaging strategies to identify clinically relevant biomarkers that can predict outcome will improve the translation between preclinical and clinical studies and will enable testing of new interventions under conditions close to patients’ clinical situations.

You are a communicative, energetic and creative team-player with a degree in (bio)medical sciences, biomedical technology, (bio)medical imaging or a related field. You work conscientiously and independently, and have a demonstrable interest in translational neuroscience and neuroimaging. You preferably have good computer skills and experience with (imaging) research in animal models. You have a good command of both written and spoken English.

Fixed-term contract: for 4 years.

For this 80-100% post, the salary will start at € 2.266,- the maximum salary will be € 2.903,- corresponding with the salary scale for PhD candidates (OIO). This will be a temporary appointment for 4 years.

The Biomedical MR Imaging and Spectroscopy Group, part of the Center for Image Sciences, is a vibrant team of biologists, physicists, chemists, physicians and computer scientists who carry out experimental and translational (neuro)imaging research. The Group has access to two state-of-the-art animal MRI scanners, an optical imaging system, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) equipment, animal surgery labs and a behavioral testing room. The project is part of CONTRAST (Collaboration for New Treatments in Acute Stroke), an international collaboration involving a large consortium of preclinical and clinical researchers aiming to improve acute stroke treatment. The strong link between laboratories and clinics within CONTRAST allows findings to be rapidly carried forward to clinical studies, while data obtained from clinical trials is directly integrated in the fundamental studies.