Effective treatment of tumors metastasizing to the peritoneal cavity is a major challenge. Surgery is applied to remove macroscopic lesions, this is followed by Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) to remove remaining microscopic cancer. During HIPEC a chemotherapy solution heated to 40-43°C is circulated through the peritoneum for 30 to 90 minutes. The elevated temperatures during HIPEC sensitize chemotherapy and thus improve the likelihood of tumour control.

The four year multidisciplinary research project “Hyperthermia transfers immunologically cold into hot tumors: Exploring potential benefit of adding immunotherapy to HIPEC treatment of metastasized ovarian cancer” is supported by a grant of the Dutch Cancer Society KWF and aims to optimize the clinical effectiveness of the HIPEC procedure by evaluating the benefit of combining HIPEC protocols with immunotherapy. In the project immune markers are monitored in in vitro and in vivo ovarian cancer tumor models at various HIPEC temperatures, and combined with immunotherapy. Goal is to establish an optimal combined HIPEC + immunotherapy protocol resulting in more effective tumor eradication. We are looking for a PhD student with a relevant clinical, biological or veterinary medicine background. A team of biologists, physicists and clinicians of Amsterdam UMC, NKI-AVL and Cleveland Clinic will advise on the work performed by the PhD student.

This project is part of a larger research line involving the application and evaluation of the benefit of hyperthermia and HIPEC for different tumor sites, including peritoneal metastases of colorectal origin. We previously developed a dedicated small animal setup for evaluating HIPEC protocols. Examples of papers of our research line can be found in dois: 10.3390/cancers12123516, 10.3390/cells9081775, and 10.3389/fonc.2023.1122755.

Would you like to know more about the different phases within the PhD trajectory? You can read more about this on this page.

• You will analyze cancer cell survival and cytokine expression after mimicking HIPEC treatment with and without immunotherapy in vitro on co-culture cell lines (tumor cells and T lymphocytes), on patient derived organoid structures and in an ovarian cancer mouse model treated with a dedicated well-controlled rodent HIPEC set up.
• In parallel patient samples (tumor material and blood samples) will be collected pre- and post-HIPEC treatment to determine (intra) tumor immune responses to HIPEC and validate the clinical translation of the preclinical results.
• Work will involve analysis, evaluation and application of immunotherapy combined with the HIPEC procedure in different tumor models, which is novel in the field of HIPEC.
• The research project should result in a PhD thesis.

• You have a MSc degree in clinical, biological or veterinary medicine, or a related background.
• You preferably have practical experience with animal research (Netherlands: artikel 9).
• You have excellent analytical and communicative skills and the ability to work within a multidisciplinary research group are essential.
• You have good command of English.

• A flying start to your career in scientific research.
• Plenty of room for your drive to shape tomorrow's healthcare.
• Working on large-scale and in-house research, with motivated colleagues from all over the world.
• You will be employed by Amsterdam UMC Research BV.
• We offer a contract for 4 years (48 months) with a trial period of 1 year.
• Salary scale OIO: € 3.017 to € 3.824 gross per month based on full-time employment (depending on education and experience) and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. Doctors are placed in salary scale 10: € 3.824 tot € 5.504 gross per month based on full-time employment (depending on education and experience). Calculate your net salary here.
• Holiday hours: 186,4 per year for fulltime and a possibility to save additional hours.
• Pension accrual with BeFrank, a modern, comprehensible and fairly priced pension.
• For >7 km each way, 100% reimbursement for public transport travel costs and, for private transport, €0.18 per km up to a maximum of 40 km each way.
• Do you prefer walking or cycling? Take advantage of our good bike scheme. Moreover, you will receive a reimbursement of €0.18 per km.

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Amsterdam UMC

Amsterdam UMC Research BV supports non-profit scientific research. In doing so, we provide researchers with everything they need to excel. Our principal investigators (PIs) and project leaders offer support in the field of project management, finance and human resources. In medical scientific research projects, legal support is also provided.

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The candidate will work at the Department of Radiation Oncology and the Laboratory of Experimental Radiobiology of the Amsterdam University Medical centers. The candidate will collaborate with biologists, physicists and clinicians working on HIPEC research at both locations of Amsterdam UMC.

The Amsterdam UMC and the PI’s for this project are widely acknowledged as leading experts in the field of clinical, pre-clinical and technical research on hyperthermia combined with radiotherapy or chemotherapy, as well as in the field of HIPEC. Cancer research is thriving at Amsterdam UMC and preclinical research results are readily translated into clinical practice.