PhD candidate 'the development of acute myeloid leukemia'

We are seeking a motivated and talented researcher to join our team in studying the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Are you an ambitious molecular or medical biologist who wants to improve our understanding and treatment of blood cancers? Then we are looking for you!

Acute myeloid leukemia is a devastating blood cancer characterized by the accumulation of immature myeloid cells leading to impaired blood formation and progressive bone marrow failure. Despite recent advances, long-term survival remains poor.

As the global population ages, the incidence of AML is expected to rise, highlighting the urgent need for innovative approaches to prevent, detect, and delay disease progression. Additionally, it underscores the importance of a better understanding of the molecular pathways that play a role in disease development and therapy resistance.

AML typically arises through a stepwise process of acquiring leukemia driver mutations. Excitingly, our research and that of others has shown that these mutations can be detected years before the disease becomes clinically apparent. This early stage is marked by the presence of clonal hematopoiesis (CH)—pre-malignant blood cell clones carrying leukemia-associated mutations. CH is remarkably common in older adults, affecting nearly 50% of people by the age of 70. While CH increases the risk of developing AML approximately tenfold, most clones do not progress to full-blown leukemia. Our team has identified several risk-modifying factors, including mutation type, blood cell parameters, coexisting cytopenias as well as germline mutations predisposing to leukemia development. However, the mechanisms that drive malignant transformation and the role of the immune system remain poorly understood.

By exploring this critical transition from clonal hematopoiesis to leukemia and molecular and cellular mechanisms driving AML blasts, our research aims to reveal novel strategies for early intervention, prevention, and treatment.

If you're passionate about translational cancer research and want to contribute to a project with real clinical impact, we invite you to apply and join our mission to transform the future of AML care!

Tasks and responsibilities
You will be appointed as a PhD candidate for a period of three years with a possible extension of 1 year, starting after the summer of 2025. During your PhD, you will design and carry out laboratory experiments, conduct (bioinformatic) data analyses, write scientific manuscripts, and present your findings at lab meetings and (inter)national conferences. You will also contribute to student supervision and actively participate in weekly team meetings.

Throughout your project, you will collaborate closely with an interdisciplinary team of molecular biologists and hematologists. Your PhD trajectory will culminate in the writing and defense of your PhD thesis during a formal examination.

Techniques and Skills
During your PhD, you will gain hands-on experience with a wide range of molecular and cellular biology techniques, including:

• Culturing of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to assess proliferation and differentiation.
• DNA cloning and bacterial transformation.
• Cell transfection, viral transduction, and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing.
• (Quantitative) RT-PCR.
• Flow cytometry.
• Western blotting.
• Next-generation sequencing techniques.
• Mass spectrometry and associated bioinformatic analyses.

This project offers an excellent opportunity to develop both experimental and analytical skills in a dynamic and translational research environment.

You are an ambitious molecular or medical biologist who is motivated to contribute to innovative research. You are capable of independently planning and conducting complex experiments. In addition, you are a true team player with strong communication skills.

Furthermore, you recognize yourself in the profile below:

• A completed MSc degree in Molecular Life Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, or a related field.
• Fluent in both spoken and written English.
• Experience in hematology, bioinformatic analyses and/or molecular techniques is an advantage.

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:

• Upon commencement of employment, you will start at scale 10A, step 0 (€ 3.108 based on a full-time appointment). Over a maximum period of 4 years, you will progress to scale 10A, step 3 (€3.939 based on a full-time appointment). You will also receive an 8% holiday allowance, an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a 47% to 72% bonus for working unsocial hours.
• 176 vacation hours per year based on a 36-hour working week.

The Laboratory of Hematology is part of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Radboudumc and comprises several research groups as well as an extensive diagnostic laboratory. The research within the lab focuses on both blood cancers and bleeding disorders, creating a dynamic and collaborative environment at the interface of research and clinical diagnostics.

As a PhD candidate, you will work closely with fellow PhD students, BSc/MSc students, technicians, postdoctoral researchers, and clinical hematologists from the Department of Hematology. Together we will design a personalized training and development plan tailored to your interests and career goals.

Radboudumc
Welcome to Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc), where scientific breakthroughs are born through the curiosity and passion of our collaborating researchers in a vibrant environment. We believe trust and excitement are crucial elements to achieving our goals, and we approach our research as teams and with the utmost rigor to make a significant impact on health and healthcare. Our researchers are driven by their fascination with the biological, psychological, and sociological mechanisms underlying health and healthcare. They collaborate with partners from all over the world to improve health outcomes for all. Radboudumc unites patient care, research, education, and corporate learning, which allows us to approach our mission to shape the health and healthcare of the future in an innovative and person-centered way.

Our ambition is to lead the way in the pursuit of prevention, sustainability, meaningful care. We believe that through our research, we can significantly improve the health and well-being of society. Join us on our mission to make a difference in healthcare. Become a part of our community of gifted researchers, professionals or patient partners who are dedicated to making a real impact on population health and healthcare.

Read what it is like to do a PhD at the Radboud University Medical Center.

Any questions? Or wondering what it is like to work at Radboudumc? Then send an email to dr. Maaike van Bergen, researcher in Talent Track, or dr. Florentien in ‘t Hout, Hematologist. Use the Apply button to submit your application.