The program focusses on elucidating the molecular events underlying sarcoma development and progression in order to establish improved diagnosis, prognosis and treatment for patients with bone and soft tissue tumors. As a postdoc you will be working on one of the projects within the VICI-program ‘sarcoma modelling towards patient specific treatment’ under direct supervision of Prof. Dr. J.V.M.G. Bovée. Read more about the project in the More information section. 

The project

Sarcomas are rare cancers arising in soft tissue and bone. They are difficult to diagnose and treat, with 38-48% mortality for this often young age group. It is now generally accepted that molecular changes in cancer open avenues for personalized medicine. However, to achieve this for sarcoma the challenge is that representative model systems for sarcomas are scarce. Therefore, the VICI-program aims at generating representative sarcoma models for gene manipulation and preclinical testing of existing drugs. As a postdoc you will be involved in the modeling of cartilaginous tumors. For this you will use induced pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells as well as established cancer cell lines to elucidate the role of specific genetic alterations observed in patients. For gene editing, lentiviral constructs and/or CRISPR-Cas9 technology will be applied. The isogenic cell-of-origin based models will be used to unravel the downstream pathways of these specific genetic alterations, that are so far largely unknown, and to explore whether these alterations provide targets for therapy. Malignant cartilaginous tumors (chondrosarcomas) are resistant to conventional chemo- and radiotherapy. Thus, there is an urgent need for alternative treatment strategies. Within the group, we are developing 3D “micro-sarc” cultures, from cell lines and directly from patient tissue, that can be used to further investigate these potential treatment options. In addition, we have a large and unique panel of chondrosarcoma cell lines, large numbers of frozen tissues and tissue microarrays.

The VICI program is currently almost at midterm: cell models (iPS cells, MSCs) and differentiation protocols have been optimized, and lentiviral constructs for the most common alterations are designed, validated and optimized, ensuring a head start for the new postdoc, who will be appointed for two years. The group has been involved in several European Committee granted Networks (see for instance www.euroewing.eu, www.eurosarc.eu) all of which focus at the pathology, biology and genetics of bone and soft tissue tumors. As a result the project is embedded within an international collaboration with the exchange of technology and skills with several leading institutes in tumor genetics throughout Europe.

Summary of the required skills

·        You are a researcher in a biomedical area and have completed a PhD

·        You have a research interest in the development of cancer

·        You will contribute to research on personalized medicine for treatment of sarcomas

·        Visit https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/medewerkers/judith-bovee for more information about the program

You have obtained your PhD in a biomedical area. It is required that you have a background in molecular biology and experience with cell biological techniques, preferably with induced pluripotent stem cells, and good technical skills. It would be preferred if you also have some experience in cloning and CRISPR-Cas9 technology. You must be fluent in English, performance driven, structured, accurate and have good communication and writing skills.

Fixed-term contract: two years.

You will be employed on the basis of 36 hours per week. Appointment is for two years. Your salary is based on your education and experience and is a maximum of  € 4,481  gross per month for a full time position (scale 10 in the Collective Labour Agreement for University Hospitals).

LUMC

At the Leiden University Medical Center, we continuously work on improving patient care. We invest in groundbreaking, international research and work with the latest equipment. Together with our team of doctors, medical specialists, teachers, academic researchers and supporting staff, we aim for the best quality in health care, education and international research. And we need you to realize our goals!