PhD Position: How Do Human Embryos Cope With Aneuploid Cells?

Are you a PhD candidate intrigued by human embryonic development? Do you see the potential of embryo models and single-cell omics to uncover how embryos handle genetic abnormalities? Join our ZonMW-funded Genetic Plasticity consortium to explore the fate of aneuploid cells in early human development.

Aneuploidy, characterised by an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell, is highly prevalent in human embryos derived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and is a major cause of early pregnancy loss. On the other hand, persistent aneuploidies can lead to offspring with genetic syndromes such as Down syndrome (trisomy 21), Edwards syndrome (trisomy 13), or Turner syndrome (XO genotype). To address these issues, pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) has been introduced into IVF clinical practice to exclude aneuploid embryos from transfer. However, there is growing evidence suggesting that pre-implantation embryos with mixed ploidy, known as mosaic embryos, can result in the birth of healthy babies, questioning PGT-A efficacy.

You will work on using novel stem cell-based embryo models as a proxy to study how human embryos cope with aneuploid cells. You will be expected to lead efforts in characterising cell fate biases of euploid/aneuploid human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) towards the main lineages as are present in the early human embryo, using hESC cell lines and embryo models (blastoids or related models). There will be a strong emphasis on the use of single-cell systems biology approaches, including high-resolution profiling of the transcriptome and open chromatin, and spatial transcriptomics. Assisted by our computational team, you will perform integrative computational analyses of the datasets you generate. Your discoveries will provide insight into how early human embryos develop and will help clinical embryologists make informed decisions when selecting embryos with varying aneuploid signatures for transfer to the uterus.
As part of your PhD training, you will take part in our medical biology educational programme for which you will assist in one or two courses per year and supervise BSc and MSc students within the context of your project.

Would you like to learn more about what it’s like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate.

• We will give you a temporary employment contract (0.8 FTE 5- year contract - 1.0 FTE 4- year contract) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract) or 3.5 years (5-year contract).
• You will receive a starting salary of €2,901 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €€3,707 from the fourth year onwards (salary scale P).
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
• We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20.

Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

The Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS) is a leading interfaculty research institute of the faculties of Science (FNWI) and Medicine (Radboud university medical center). The central research theme is regulation of gene expression during development and in health and disease. Research areas of RIMLS-FNWI include epigenetics, stem-cell and developmental biology, and computational biology. Important tools used by the institute include next-generation sequencing, mass spectrometry, single-cell multi-omics analysis and computational analysis. To perform state-of-the-art research, RIMLS-FNWI operates its own wet-lab and computational facilities. Within the ZonMW-funded Genetic Plasticity consortium, you will work closely together with researchers from Maastricht University (MERLN groups led by Erik Vrij and Stefan Giselbrecht, respectively, experts in bioengineering), and Maastricht UMC+ (group of Edith Coonen, clinical embryologist). RIMLS-FNWI actively contributes to teaching activities in the Biology programme at Radboud University. The RIMLS-FNWI institute currently consists of 50 researchers (including 30 PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers) and provides a vivid and international working environment. The institute actively participates in international consortia and collaborations.