1. Are you inspired by the potential to use degradable synthetic implants that are transformed into living tissues by the body itself?
2. Are you fascinated by our ability to use the immune system to our advantage to induce tissue engineering in situ?
3. Are you eager to contribute to better and sustainable healthcare?
4. Are you passionate about inspiring and mentoring students and PhD students and working in a high-end collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment?
5. Are you our next Postdoc in unraveling macrophage mechanobiology?

There is an increasing clinical demand for sophisticated medical implants and the scientific field of implant technology is exponentially growing. The main challenge is to harness the immune response to such an implant. In this research we use the immune response to our advantage, by using bioresorbable synthetic biomaterials that are gradually replaced by living tissue inside the body. Our research on this technology has, for example, led to the world's first clinical trials using resorbable synthetic heart valves for children with congenital cardiac malformations.

One of the key immune cells for this technology are macrophages, which are the gatekeepers for successful implant integration. One major neglected factor is how macrophages sense and respond to mechanical loads, or 'macrophage mechanobiology'. Mechanical loads, such as cyclic stretch, are omnipresent in the human body, for example induced by breathing, the pulsatile blood pressure and musculoskeletal motion. So far, the dominant influence of mechanical loads on the macrophage response to a biomaterial when implanted has been poorly investigated, leading to potentially catastrophic implant failures. The main aim of your research will be to unravel how macrophages respond to mechanical cues in order to enable rational design of regenerative implants.

Embedding

You will be embedded in a highly inspiring research environment, both socially and professionally, which facilitates access to high-end research facilities, as well as fosters interdisciplinary collaborations. Your project is part of the ERC-funded research program MACxercise (ERC Starting Grant), and will contribute to various complementary (inter)national research programs, such as the Materials-Driven Regeneration Research Program (NWO Gravitation). You will be an integral member of the ImmunoRegeneration team and the overarching Soft Tissue Engineering and Mechanobiology research group (headed by Prof. Carlijn Bouten) at our Department. Moreover, you will be affiliated to the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, our interdepartmental center for research excellence.

• PhD in Biomedical Engineering, or a comparable domain.
• Experience in cell mechanobiology and affinity with mechanics is a must. Experience in immune cell culture is preferred but not required.
• Ability to conduct high quality academic research, demonstrated for instance by a relevant PhD thesis and/or publication(s).
• Ability to teach, shown by experience or assistance in teaching and positive evaluations of these teaching efforts.
• Excellent mastering of the English language, good communication and leadership skills. Note that there is no Dutch language requirement.
• Be a team player and able to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary context.

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for 3 years.
• You will have free access to high-quality training programs on general skills, didactics and topics related to research and valorization.
• A gross monthly salary and benefits in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits (including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes).
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called '30% facility', which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.