• Do you want to do pioneering work on state-of-the-art high-/ultra-high-field NMR spectrometers?
• Are you interested in developing and optimizing NMR/MRI microimaging acquisition methods for ultra-high resolution of pre-clinical studies?
• Do you want to use your passion for supporting advanced MRI applications and work in a wide national network?

We invite applications for a post-doctoral position of 1 year, with possibility of extension to 2 years depending on performance, based at the Laboratory of Biophysics at Wageningen University (WU). The work is in close collaboration with partners within two national consortia, respectively Utrecht University (UU) and the University Medical Center (UMC) of Utrecht within the Dutch NMR consortium (uNMR-NL), and the 4 Technical Universities (4TU) in The Netherlands involved in the "Precision Medicine" program.
The focus of this position is on the implementation of microimaging methods at high-/ultra-high-field NMR spectrometers (14-28T), to boost sensitivity, spatial and chemical resolution in pre-clinical MRI studies of small-volume soft biological materials and living systems, such as cell cultures. The goal of this collaborative project is to achieve cellular-level and microstructural information, not accessible at lower/intermediate magnetic fields, to ultimately aid more accurate identification of early and diffuse microscopic tissue alterations.
The challenges of this post-doc position lie in the implementation and optimization of some MRI pulse sequences (e.g. CEST imaging, susceptibility-weighted imaging, imaging with X-nuclei, MR spectroscopy, multi-dimensional qMRI, etc) for high-to-ultra-high field applications. This position will cover both method developments and related applications in the field of pre-clinical MRI, with due focus on troubleshooting and optimizing experimental conditions for MRI measurements at ultra-high magnetic fields. The work will be carried out using a new WB 600 MHz (14 T) spectrometer recently installed at WU in 2022, a SB 950 MHz (22 T) spectrometer at RU, and the first 1.2 GHz (28 T) spectrometer with micro-imaging capabilities worldwide, recently installed at UU. As post-doc, you will be based in Wageningen, though we expect you to travel to other universities in the consortium to use the right available equipment, as well as to cooperate with other post-docs deployed within the uNMR-NL consortium.
The position is intended to be filled latest by September 1st 2022.

You are an ambitious and enthusiastic scientist. Your profile should signal:

• A PhD degree in an NMR/MRI-related field with experience working with pulse sequence development and implementation, preferably on high-field Bruker NMR spectrometers;
• research experience and familiarity with pre-clinical studies;
• a strong motivation to work flexibly and creatively in a cross-disciplinary environment;
• very good communications skills and ability to interact constructively with physicists, chemists, engineers and technicians;
• a good command of the English language.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 2846,- and € 4490,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10).

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the Best University in the Netherlands for the 16th consecutive time.

The program also includes:

• if needed, training in NMR/MRI methodologies relevant to the project;
• technical support for hardware developments at both WU and RU;
• extensive collaboration with partner laboratories within the consortium.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University and Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.800 employees and 12.900 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

The Laboratory of Biophysics (www.bip.wur.nl/UK/) is an international research group with leading expertise in the development and application of spectroscopic and imaging techniques relevant to bio-/soft-matter science, and it provides access to advanced state-of-the-art NMR/MRI spectroscopy equipment at the MAGNEFY NMR research facility (https://www.wur.nl/en/Value-Creation-Cooperation/Facilities/MAGNEtic-resonance-research-FacilitY.htm).

MAGNEFY operates as "Magnetic Resonance facility for (agro)food, life sciences, and biobased research" research" and is an integral part of the distributed uNMR-NL ROADMAP infrastructure. MAGNEFY houses five high-field NMR spectrometers up to 700 MHz, most relevant for this project are two wide bore 300 and 600 MHz spectrometers dedicated to development and application of advanced microimaging methods to assess dynamic processes in vivo or in situ in soft matter.

The Agrotechnology & Food Sciences Group is part of Wageningen University & Research, an organisation that brings together fundamental and applied scientific research. We work on creating 'healthy food in a bio-based society' with private sector companies, research institutes and government agencies in the Netherlands and abroad. Our innovations play a crucial role in solving the major issues which affect society today. Entrepreneurship and professionalism are key in all that we do. In short, we are a major international employer offering considerable potential for your career.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.