PhD miRNA profile in early-onset fetal growth restriction

In pregnancies that are complicated by fetal growth restriction in early pregnancy (before 32 weeks of gestation) the biggest challenge is to identify the right timing of birth. The right timing is as late as possible to allow as much maturation as possible, but before hypoxia occurs that can cause fetal death or adverse neurological outcomes.

Within the FGR PODS project (see www.fetalgrowthrestriction.com) you will explore if we can find biomarkers in maternal blood, that indicate damage to the placenta, and can thus help to predict when the baby should be born. The main candidates for this are degradation products of a specific placental cell layer: the syncytiotrophoblast, such as cell-free foetal DNA and miRNA.

• At the location UMC Groningen, you will leverage existing samplesets to master and perfect the methodology.
• Additionally, you will play an important role in logistics to prospectively collect the necessary samples for the international SAVE FGR trial (part of FGR PODS) and you will analyze the samples
• You will use bio-informatic approaches, supplemented with machine learning to define a ‘biomarker signature’ of early-onset fetal growth restriction and impending hypoxia.
• This is a new research field, so there is plenty of room for your own initiative.
• The findings of your analyses will be processed into articles, presented at relevant conferences, and ultimately culminate in a dissertation.

As a PhD student you have a research-oriented attitude. Important for this project is a strong affinity with medicine, preferably also with (complicated) pregnancy. Moreover, you bring the following:

• A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Biomedical sciences (or similar).
• Demonstrable lab experience with molecular techniques.
• Motivation to work in a team and you are interested in collaborating with the clinical partners.
• Organisational skills, capability to coordinate your own research and interact with various disciplines and levels of expertise.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Basic knowledge in R.

• 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, but your work location via secondment will mainly be UMC Groningen.
• A contract for the duration of the project (4 years) with probation of 12 months.
• Salary scale OIO: € 3.017 to € 3.824 gross based on full-time employment (depending on education and experience) and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. 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.

Watch this video with more information about joining Amsterdam UMC Research BV.

You will join the team at UMC Groningen and Amsterdam UMC. The lead investigators, post-docs and PhD’s in the team have a variable background: medicine biomedical, AI, engineering. Your work location will mainly be in Groningen, but team activities will often be in Amsterdam.

You will be part of the team of the research line, with more PhD’s on different aspects of foetal growth restriction. In the team, personal and professional interactions are important, and educational meetings including journal clubs are organized on a regular basis. We hope that you will appreciate the open, relaxed, humorous atmosphere in which we also work hard to collaboratively solve our challenges.