Monoclonal gammopathies (MG) such as multiple myeloma and AL amyloidosis are common hematological malignancies that are characterized by monoclonal expansion of plasma cells in the bone marrow. These plasma cells produce monoclonal antibodies (M-proteins) that provide a unique cancer-biomarker. M-protein diagnostics is crucial for diagnosis, risk-stratification and follow-up of MM patients. Current M-protein diagnostics has two important drawbacks:

• It is not sensitive enough to detect Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) and
• It does not measure the pathogenicity of the M-protein.

The aim of this PhD project is

• To investigate and optimize the clinical applicability of our recently developed MS-MRD blood-test in different MG (suggested reading: Zajec, Langerhorst et al. Clin Chem 2020 PMID 32031591)
• Investigate the molecular mechanisms of M-protein pathogenicity in order to predict and prevent M-protein induced organ damage in patients with MG.

The research in this 4 year PhD project, will be performed in close collaboration of the Laboratory Medical Immunology and Translational Metabolic Laboratory, with hematologists and industrial partners.
Techniques that will be used are state of the art mass spectrometry, de novo sequencing of monoclonal antibodies, protein chemistry and flow cytometry.

Tasks and responsibilities

• You will be responsible for the design, organization and the execution of the experiments.
• You will communicate the results to the supervisors, present data on international meetings, and write scientific papers.

For this project, we are looking for an ambitious PhD student with strong analytical and communicative skills. This four-year project should culminate in a PhD thesis. We are looking for someone with a master's degree in (Medical) Biology, Molecular Life Sciences, Technical Medicine, Chemistry or related discipline. Experience with immunological- and molecular analyses, mass spectrometry, statistics using large data-sets. Skilled to pick up and perform novel complex technologies.

In addition you possess the profile below:

• An independent and well-structured working style, demanding high quality of your own work.
• Well-developed social skills directed to work in a multidisciplinary team, excellent interpersonal and communicative skills.
• Strong motivation to master novel complex technologies and succeed in scientific research.
• Excellent presentation and scientific writing skills.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

The salary depends on education. Scale 10 will be offered to MSc medical graduates; those holding degrees in other disciplines will be offered scale 10A.

Working at Radboud university medical center means that you are ahead of the curve and working together on the healthcare of the future. And there is more. Our secondary terms of employment are impressive. These are fully tailored to you thanks to our Employment Conditions Selection Model. At Radboud university medical center, you will be given trust, and you will take the responsibility to handle everything together. We provide annual courses, both professional and personal.

• A gross monthly salary between € 2.789 and € 3.536 (scale 10A) or between € 3.230 and € 5.088 (scale 10) based on full-time employment.
• From 1 November 2023 the wages will increase by 4%.
• An annual vacation allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
• If you work irregular hours, you will receive an allowance.
• As a full-time employee (36 hours per week), you are entitled to approximately 168 vacation hours (over 23 days) per year.
• Radboud university medical center pays 70% of the pension premium. You pay the rest of the premium with your gross salary.
• You get a discount on health insurance as well: you can take advantage of two group health insurance plans. UMC Zorgverzekering and CZ collectief.

In addition to our terms of employment, we also offer employees various other attractive facilities, such as childcare and sports facilities. Want to learn more? Take a look at the Cao UMC.

Radboudumc

The Laboratory of Medical Immunology (LMI) performs research and diagnostics for patients with immune related disorders. The main research topic is immune regulation from a translational perspective: designing new strategies for immunotherapy, and defining biomarkers to monitor immune status and treatment efficacy in patients suffering from transplant related or (auto)inflammatory disorders or cancer. LMI has strong collaboration partners in the fields of onco-immunology, inflammatory sciences, and vaccination strategies. PhD students will actively participate in the Radboudumc graduate school.

Translational metabolic Laboratory (Department of Genetics)
The Translational Metabolic Laboratory (TML) bridges patient care and translational research in inherited metabolic disorders. TML harbors a range of top researchers in the areas of inherited metabolic diseases, disorders of movement, mitochondrial diseases, protein glycosylation and more. Our key technologies are mass spectrometry, next generation sequencing and a multitude of functional tests. TML scientists are part of large multi-omics programs, such as the Netherlands X-omics Initiative.
Radboudumc
Welcome to Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc), where scientific breakthroughs are born through the curiosity and passion of our collaborating researchers in a vibrant environment. We believe trust and excitement are crucial elements to achieving our goals, and we approach our research as teams and with the utmost rigor to make a significant impact on health and healthcare. Our researchers are driven by their fascination with the biological, psychological, and sociological mechanisms underlying health and healthcare. They collaborate with partners from all over the world to improve health outcomes for all. Radboudumc unites patient care, research, education, and corporate learning, which allows us to approach our mission to shape the health and healthcare of the future in an innovative and person-centered way.

Our ambition is to lead the way in the pursuit of prevention, sustainability, meaningful care. We believe that through our research, we can significantly improve the health and well-being of society. Join us on our mission to make a difference in healthcare. Become a part of our community of gifted researchers, professionals or patient partners who are dedicated to making a real impact on population health and healthcare.

Read what it is like to do a PhD at the Radboud University Medical Center.

Read more about our strategy and what working at Radboud university medical center means. Our colleagues would be happy to tell you about it. #weareradboudumc