Postdoc Computational modeling of kidney toxin transport
You cannot apply for this job anymore (deadline was 12 Jul ’20)
The department of Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering (cBITE) at the MERLN Institute for Technology-inspired Regenerative Medicine at Maastricht University in the Netherlands invites applications for a post-doctoral position. The post-doctoral researcher will perform cutting-edge research in computational modeling methods applied to regenerative medicine and more specifically, to kidney toxin transport in microfluidic set-ups, organoid culture systems and/or bioartificial kidney devices.
Academic fields
Natural sciences
Job types
Postdoc
Education level
Doctorate
Weekly hours
38 hours per week
Regenerative medicine holds the promise to cure many of what are now chronic patients, restoring health rather than protracting decline, bettering the lives of millions and at the same time preventing lifelong, expensive care processes: cure instead of care. More specifically, at present, dialysis and transplantation are the only treatment options for end-stage kidney disease. In the Netherlands alone, 6,500 people currently depend on dialysis, approximately 1,300 of which will die this year. Regenerative medicine offers an alternative treatment in the form of a bioengineered kidney. As a first step, the partners of RegMed XB will work towards creating a functional subunit of a bioengineered kidney. This functional subunit is the nephron, of which there are approximately one million in the adult kidney. In order to inform the in vitro experiments as well as design a bioartificial kidney as an intermediate step towards a fully bioengineered kidney, this project will use computational models to simulate toxin transport and calculate the flow and geometry requirements for adequate toxin removal in various set-ups: microfluidic, organoid culture systems and bioartificial devices.
Project description:
What we offer:
Project embedding:
The project will be coordinated by the MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine (http://merlninstitute.com/) at Maastricht University (UM), while closely collaborating with TU Eindhoven, Utrecht University and Leiden University as part of RegMed XB, which stands for “Regenerative Medicine Crossing Borders”. RegMed XB is a virtual institute composed of universities, health foundations, governments and private companies in the Netherlands and Belgium. The partners work together to tackle some of the greatest challenges in regenerative medicine, while building a community of researchers and companies to realize health and economic benefits. RegMed XB is best-suited for those scientists who are driven to make a difference in the lives of patients and who wish to join a growing initiative that promises to integrate entrepreneurial activities with the excellent scientific research performed within the universities. Joining RegMed XB means being part of a community working on research programs aimed to cure a chronic disease (for more information, please visit www.regmedxb.com).
Requirements and key expertise
Fixed-term contract: 1 year.
The position is temporary for the duration of the project (12 months). Depending on experience and qualification, the gross monthly salary is scale 10 (max. € 4.402,-), based on a full-time appointment.
The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > Support > UM employees.
Maastricht University (UM) is the most international university in the Netherlands and, with more than 18,000 students and 4,400 employees, is still growing. The university stands out for its innovative education model, international character and multidisciplinary approach to research and education. Thanks to its high-quality research and study programs as well as a strong focus on social engagement, UM has quickly built up a solid reputation. Today it is considered one of the best young universities in the world
The MERLN Institute for Technology-inspired Regenerative Medicine focuses on developing novel and challenging technologies to advance the field of tissue and organ repair and regeneration through, amongst others, the development of high-throughput material platforms to screen cell-biomaterial interactions. MERLN consists of an interdisciplinary team of researchers including fields as (stem cell) biology, materials engineering, chemistry, micro/nanofabrication, additive manufacturing, etc. The scientists at MERLN have an extensive network of collaborators within research institutions in and outside the Netherlands as well as with a number of biomedical companies, including their own spin-off companies, as entrepreneurship is highly fostered.
You can send your application by email to: hrm-rw-vacatures@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
Please mention also the vacancy number (AT2020.190) and/or the project name in your application.
Maastricht University is committed to nurturing an inclusive culture and a welcoming atmosphere. This inclusiveness strategy has resulted in a very diverse representation of nationalities and cultures. We strongly believe that diversity (including, but not limited to nationality, age and gender) of the staff and student population will increase the quality of UM education & research. Fostering diversity and inclusivity creates an academic community where individual talents thrive, and values and differences are cherished. We strongly encourage you to apply if you are qualified for this position.
Maastricht University distinguishes itself with its innovative education model, international character and multidisciplinary approach to research and education.
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