Host Department:
The department of Medical Biology of the Amsterdam UMC (location AMC) - as one of the partners of NLHI - offers a PhD candidate position. This 4-year position is funded by the Prof. dr, A.F.M. Moorman fund. Cardiovascular sciences is one of the spearheads of the AMC. Leaders in cardiac biology and experimental and clinical cardiology in our and other departments are organized in the Amsterdam Cardiovascular Research Institute. Together we have created an excellent scientific environment for your training to become an independent scientist.

Project
Heart development is driven by the addition of cells from outside of the embryonic heart. A key objective is to generate 3D models to visualize and understand this misunderstood process. After the addition of cells, a major event, which occurs in both evolution and development, is the formation of heart chamber walls dominated by compact-organized muscle. We will therefore identify and functionally assay evolutionary old genomic regulatory elements driving compact wall formation. The impact on filling and emptying of chamber walls dominated by compact versus trabeculated muscle will be assessed empirically by measurements of blood flow through hearts with various degrees of trabeculation (in collaboration with Aarhus University, Denmark). The basic research PhD candidate in the Medical Biology department, Amsterdam, investigates heart development, using state of the art functional genomic and transgenic mouse models.

Needed skills:
Candidates should have a Master’s degree in a life science subject, an excellent higher education track record and strong scientific curiosity and drive. Fluent spoken and written English skills are required. We seek a highly motivated scientist who enjoys an interdisciplinary environment. You are able to work independently but also as part of a team and you have good communication skills.

Fixed-term contract: 1-year, which will be extended for another 3 years when functioning appropriately.

We offer a position for 1-year (36 hours working week), which will be extended for another 3 years when functioning appropriately, with the goal to obtain a doctorate and become an independent scientist. You will be supervised by Vincent Christoffels (promotor) and senior scientist Bjarke Jensen (co-promotor). Location will be the department of Medical Biology, AMC in Amsterdam.

The salary for a full-time appointment for a starting PhD student will be scale P0, maximum €2.495,- plus 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end bonus. Pay- and benefit package according to the collective labour agreement of the university medical centers in the Netherlands (CAO UMC).

Netherlands Heart Institute

The Netherlands Heart Institute fosters excellent cardiovascular research on national and international level. We conduct basic science as well as clinical research. We aim to promote cooperation between university medical centres in the Netherlands and between scientists and the private sector.