Renal tubulopathies are a group of hereditary disorders affecting the kidney tubule which are affecting approximately 1:20.000 individuals. Despite the use of next-generation sequencing techniques, more than 30% of patients remain without diagnosis. Moreover, linking variant discovery to functional measurements remains a major challenge in the interpretation of genetic analysis. In this project we will focus specifically on patients with Mg2+ wasting tubulopathies, who suffer from seizures, arrhythmias, muscle cramps, and sometimes intellectual disability and cardiomyopathy. Will you help us?

The heterogeneity of the disease, the absence of patient-specific models, and the difficulties with functional measurements have seriously hampered research into these tubulopathies in the last decades. As the pathophysiology is poorly known, technological advances in this field are essential for the development of therapeutics. In this project, we will develop in vitro and in vivo imaging techniques to study ion transport in the kidney.

In this project, you will:

• Establish novel kidney organoid models to perform live imaging of ion transport in the kidney tubule.
• Perform intravital imaging in mice to study renal ion transport and disease mechanisms of kidney tubulopathies.
• Work in a multidisciplinary team of scientists, clinicians, and patients to improve the diagnostics and therapy of patients with tubulopathies.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Designs and performs scientific research in the area of cell biology, microscopy, and physiology.
• Generates and analyses the data in order to contribute to scientific publications and presents findings at scientific meetings.
• Performs research in a stimulating environment and team.
• Works in an international research group with fellows from many countries.
• Completes the project with a scientific dissertation.

Our ideal PhD candidate is MSc in (Medical) Biology, Biomedical Sciences or Medicine. You are independent and have an well-structured working style. You have ambition to succeed in scientific research.

Furthermore, you recognize yourself in the profile below:

• Certificate to work with animals (Article 9).
• Experience with microscopy and molecular level of thinking.
• Well-developed social skills directed to work in a team.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

At Radboud university medical center, you build on your future. We are committed to providing the best care, education, and research. And we are true to our word, because we help you develop and seize opportunities and give you the room to grow. As an employer, we believe that employees should feel vital and happy at work in all stages of life. We are also committed to creating a healthy and safe working environment. Our employment conditions contribute to that. What we offer:

• The salary depends on education. Scale 10 will be offered to MSc medical graduates; a gross monthly salary between €3.359 and € 5.292. Those holding degrees in other disciplines will be offered scale 10A: upon commencement of employment, you will start at scale 10A, step 0 (€2,901 based on a full-time appointment). Over a maximum period of 4 years, you will progress to scale 10A, step 3 (€3,677 based on a full-time appointment). You will also receive an 8% holiday allowance, an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a 47% to 72% bonus for working unsocial hours.
• Plenty of opportunities to develop yourself. For example, you can follow various courses via our online learning environment. A lot of attention will also be paid to your wellbeing and vitality. For instance, you can take advantage of:
  
  • a 40% discount on gym membership at the Radboud Sports Center.
  • the Company Support Team and a personal coach if you experience a life-changing event.
  • a financially favorable option to work less through a generation scheme if you are approaching state retirement age.
  • support with achieving a good work-life balance at every stage of your life. This includes advice and training (from ‘Millennial Dilemmas’ to ‘Your Career After 57’), activities at our own mindfulness center, and informal caregiving consultations if you have any questions about combining your work and caregiving tasks at home.
• 168 vacation hours per year based on a 36-hour working week. Want more vacation? You can buy additional vacation hours with your end-of-year bonus.
• 26 weeks of parental leave, of which 9 weeks are paid.
• Extra-favorable leave conditions. For example, our short-term caregiving leave is not 2 but 4 weeks per year and even 12 weeks per year for partner and child.
• Pension accrual with the ABP Pension Fund. Radboud university medical center pays 70% of the pension contribution.
• Discount on the supplementary packages of two collective health insurance policies and on ten other types of insurance, from home insurance to legal assistance.
• A travel allowance via our Employment Conditions Selection Model and a working-from-home allowance of €2 per day.

Radboudumc

The department of Medical BioSciences provides an international and stimulating working environment and is an exciting place to perform basic research, translational and clinical medicine, and enjoy teaching. The department encompasses complementary research groups whose interests range from cardiovascular disease, molecular regulation of ion transport processes in the kidney to the study of metabolism in the body. Working collaboratively within the department, we use our expertise to investigate how molecules, cells, organisms and humans function and how we might modulate their physiology to ultimately improve health in the patient.

This project will be executed in the Kidney Physiology group and is part of the 3D Biology and Renal Disorders Research Programs within the Radboudumc, a leading multidisciplinary graduate school within the domain of molecular mechanisms of disease and particularly in the fields of molecular medicine, cell biology, and translational research.

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.