We seek a PhD candidate to join an interdisciplinary team working on regenerative medicine for the cornea. The aim of this project is to develop a gene editing therapy for corneal dystrophies.

Corneal dystrophies are a group of hereditary eye disorders in which abnormal materials often accumulate and residing cells are lost in the transparent outer layer of the eye, often resulting in vision loss. A non-surgical therapy that could regenerate the cornea would be transformative for patients. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing is now widely used in biomedical research and is increasingly being applied to treat human diseases. In this project, we will set out to optimize an in vitro gene editing delivery system for corneal cells with the aim to bring the approach into an ex vivo or eventually in vivo setting.

Description of the candidate
Candidates should possess a Masters degree in a relevant field (e.g., Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, or Genetics) or have experience that demonstrates their affinity for this topic if they have a different educational background. Candidates who have done their Bachelors degree in a country where it is the norm to directly enter a PhD afterwards (e.g. USA) are welcome to apply, but must demonstrate independent research experience.

The desired candidate has the following skills and/or interests:

• Cell and molecular biology assays
• Cell culture, especially pluripotent stem cells
• Genetics
• CRISPR or other gene editing
• Willingness to work with human corneas

We are looking for creative thinkers who are prepared to take on highly challenging aims. The project will be very interdisciplinary, and will suit an ambitious candidate who likes a fast-paced environment. Excellent knowledge of scientific English for speaking, reading, and writing are required. Knowledge of Dutch is not required.

The host
The PhD candidate will have a cross-disciplinary supervision team comprising Dr Mor Dickman (University Eye Clinical Maastricht), Dr Vanessa LaPointe (MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University), and Prof. Hans van Bokhoven (Radboud UMC, Nijmegen). The candidate will mainly perform their research in the laboratories of Prof. van Bokhoven (Nijmegen) and Dr LaPointe (Maastricht), with the expectation of the first part of the project taking place in Nijmegen.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

For those unfamiliar with the Dutch PhD system, it is the norm to take four years to complete the laboratory work for the degree. It is a full-time research degree, with only optional course work.

The salary would be € 2.395,- gross per month in the first year up to € 3.061,- gross per month in the fourth year according to the PhD-candidate salary scale. On top of this, there is an 8% holiday and an 8.3% year-end allowance. Candidates who need to relocate may be eligible for compensation. 

The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > Support > UM employees.

Maastricht University

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 20,000 students and 4,700 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. For more information, visit www.maastrichtuniversity.nl.

Information of the School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, see website: https://mhens.mumc.maastrichtuniversity.nl/