Postdoctoral position in clinical immunology: investigating respiratory infection immunity

The Laboratory of Medical Immunology at the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen is seeking a highly motivated and talented individual for a postdoctoral position in clinical immunology. This position is part of the PRINDOUT project, focused on understanding the impact of maternal respiratory infections and immune activation on offspring development, particularly in relation to neurodevelopmental disorders. In PRINDOUT, expertise from (developmental) neurocognition, pediatrics, epidemiology, and immunology from Utrecht University (Prof. Chantal Kemner), the University Medical Centre Utrecht (Dr. Patricia Bruining), and the Radboud University Medical Centre (Dr. Lilly Verhagen) will be combined.

In the project, two postdocs will jointly cooperate: one postdoc will be responsible for assessing the type and severity of potential infections through the blood and saliva of pregnant women. The other postdoc will analyse data regarding the development of their brain networks, attention, and self-control in infants. Together, the postdocs will be responsible for integration of the results as well as communication with stakeholders.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Develop and implement immunological assays, including setting up a Luminex assay to measure antibodies against various respiratory viruses in clinical (blood and mucosal) samples.
• Use a variety of techniques, including ELISA/Luminex and molecular techniques on clinical samples.
• Collaborate with scientists from diverse backgrounds to analyze and interpret data, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between respiratory infections, immune responses, and child neurocognitive development.
• Develop and lead independent scientific projects aimed at elucidating systemic and mucosal immunity in clinical cohorts.
• Present research findings through oral presentations and written publications.
• Communicate these insights to targeted stakeholder groups and the general public through a dedicated outreach strategy.
• Performance of molecular and functional B-cell assays.

We are looking for someone with a PhD of M.D. degree in (bio)medical science, biology, immunology or a related field. You also have a strong background and expertise in immunology, with specific experience in antibody biology, cytokine profiling or epigentic analysis. Furthermore, familiarity with Luminex assays is highly desirable.

In addition you possess the profile below:

• Demonstrated interest in human immunity against respiratory infections.
• Proven ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, including supervision of PhD/master students and/or technicians.
• Track record of scientific accomplishment demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• We particularly encourage applicants with experience in B cell immunology, including the isolation and characterization of B-cells, co-cultures, and monoclonal antibody production.

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:

• A gross monthly salary of between € 3.493 and € 5.504 (scale 10) for full-time employment (36 hours per week). You will also receive an 8% vacation allowance, an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and, depending on the position, an allowance of 47% to 72% for working irregular 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 € 2,35 per day.

You will work in the paediatric respiratory infection & immunity research group within the Laboratory of Medical Immunology and the Department of Pediatrics of the Radboud University Medical Center. The group is led by Dr. Lilly Verhagen. For more information, please see our work.

As a postdoc you will join a dynamic team of biologists, biomedical scientists, and clinicians, collaborating closely with a neuropsychologist and researchers with epidemiological expertise. Our group works with a wide range of techniques in immunology. Moreover, we conduct clinical observational studies and trials that enable us to translate our findings into clinical applications. Our group is dedicated to provide an excellent work environment for pursuing forefront and innovative science, and strongly supports the individual development of all members in our group.

Radboudumc
Radboud university medical center is a university medical center for patient care, scientific research, and education in Nijmegen. Radboud university medical center strives to be at the forefront of shaping the healthcare of the future. We do this in a person-centered and innovative way, and in close collaboration with our network. We want to have a significant impact on health and healthcare. We want to improve with each passing day, continuously working towards better healthcare, research, and education. And gaining a better understanding of how diseases arise and how we can prevent, treat, and cure them, day in and day out. This way, every patient always receives the best healthcare, now and in the future. Because that is why we do what we do.