PhD position: Optimal Gout Treatment Strategies and added value of Crystal Analysis in Synovial Fluids in the diagnosis and outcomes assessment of gout.

 
Job description
Gout is an inflammatory arthritis triggered by monosodium urate (MSU) deposits that accumulate in joint tissues due to extended periods of hyperuricemia. Recurrent gout attacks as well as other late stage consequences of MSU deposits such as tophi and bone destruction may be prevented using Urate Lowering Treatment (ULT). However, ULT can be implemented through different strategies and in the absence of high-quality evidence, international guidelines disagree which management strategy is optimal. The main aim of the PhD project is to study the comparative (cost-)effectiveness of different gout management strategies in a randomized, multicenter, pragmatic, superiority trial. The first strategy involves reducing and maintaining serum urate levels below the physiological threshold of saturation using ULT, with the aim of preventing new crystals from forming and causing existing deposits to dissolve over time (Treat to target). In the second strategy, the intensity of ULT is based on the goal of avoiding recurrent symptoms, without routine monitoring of serum urate levels (treat to avoid symptoms).

As a secondary objective, synovial fluid of trial participants collected at baseline and follow up will be studied using hybrid microscopy methodology developed in a companion PhD project which combines bright field optical polarization microscopy and Raman spectroscopic imaging. This method uniquely characterizes crystals and allows for accurate quantification of the amount of MSU crystals present in the synovial fluid. During the project, the ability of the method to increase diagnostic certainty and to serve as a severity marker of gout will be studied.

The PhD Project is funded by ZonMw and ReumaNederland and conducted in collaboration with the Dutch association for rheumatology.

Location
You will work in the Medical Cell Biophysics group at the University of Twente (UT) in the Netherlands (https://www.utwente.nl/en/tnw/mcbp/).

We are looking for a candidate with a master's degree in a health-related field, with a keen interest in clinical research in the field of gout who is highly motivated to do a PhD. You should be able to produce accurate and high-quality work and have excellent interpersonal, organizational, analytical, and documentation skills. You have strong communication skills, including fluency in written and spoken English, as well as Dutch. It is very important that you are able to work both independently and within a team.

• You will have a fulltime employment contract for four years and can participate in all employee benefits the UT offers;
• The gross monthly salary starts with € 2.395,- in the first year and increases to € 3.061,- in the fourth year of your employment;
• You will receive a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• The research should result in a PhD thesis at the end of the employment period.