PhD position COVID19

Are you a highly motivated student with a Master degree in Biomedical Sciences or a similar education level with interest in cellular immunology? Do you want to perform your PhD studies on unravelling the immune response against SARS-CoV-2?

The position
This project is part of a research program grant (2 PhD students and 2 technicians) focused on cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Sanquin is in the unique position to collect longitudinal samples of individuals previously infected by SARS-Cov-2. Samples are being collected from individuals with different disease courses from asymptomatic up to very severe. In this project we aim to elucidate the evolution of immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in relation to severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Besides ex vivo analysis focused on heterogeneity of the antigen-specific cell phenotype, clonality and crossreactivity, also in vitro studies will be performed to investigate the functional properties of SARS-CoV-2-specific B and T cells compared to specific B and T cells against other (common) pathogens, like TT, CMV or RSV. State of the art analysis will be applied for the analysis, such as TCR and BCR sequence analysis, single cell RNA sequencing and multi-color flowcytometry.
One PhD student will focus on T cell responses and the other PhD student will focus on B cell responses.

We are looking for highly motivated individuals with:

• a Master degree in Biomedical Sciences or a similar education level, with special interest in immunology;
• knowledge of immunology is required and a proven track record in research in cellular immunology is a pre;
• team player with good communication skills.

• pay and working conditions conform CAO Sanquin
• challenging projects in a multi-disciplinary and enthusiastic team;
• a temporary appointment for a period of 4 years;
• 201 hours of leave with full-time employment (36 hours);
• 8.33% end-of-year bonus, i.e. a thirteenth month in case of full-year employment;
• 8.33% holiday pay;
• compensation for travel expenses;
• collective agreements with various insurers;
• pension plan with Pensioenfonds Zorg & Welzijn (PFZW);

Sanquin

For more information on 'Research at Sanquin' please watch the video accessible via this link. 

The COVID-19 research project is embedded in the departments Immunopathology (IP) and Hematopoiesis (HEP) of Sanquin. Sanquin provides a lively, internationally oriented, scientific environment with excellent research facilities (flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, mass spectrometry, and sequencing). 
Research of the department IP focuses on the regulation of (humoral) immunity and tolerance. The B cell Research group, part of the department IP, is headed by prof. dr. Marieke van Ham, investigates how B cell differentiation into IgG-secreting plasma cells (PC) is regulated by antigen and specific signals from follicular T-helper cells. 
The Immune modulation and Immunomonitoring Research group is part of the department of IP, headed by dr. Anja ten Brinke, investigates the modulation of immune responses by blood products as well as immunomodulatory therapies, with a specific focus on CD4+ T cell and B cell responses. One of the major research lines of the T cell group in the department Hematopoesis, headed by prof. dr. René van Lier, is to link T cell heterogeneity to function and antigen specificities within human tissues.