PhD candidate 'Novel immunotherapeutic strategies for pediatric mature B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphomas to reduce treatment-related toxicity'

Do you want to contribute as a PhD candidate to groundbreaking immunotherapies that make childhood cancer treatment safer? Are you motivated to develop innovative strategies that reduce the toxicity of current therapies?

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is the most common type of B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in children. Current immuno-chemotherapy leads to high overall survival of pediatric patients. However, this treatment causes significant and potentially life-threatening short-term toxicity. Therefore, better targeted and less toxic therapies are needed for pediatric BL patients.

We have developed a novel immunotherapeutic platform to induce BL cell death without the use of chemotherapy. This antibody-based immunotherapy can induce potent tumor cytotoxicity by clustering multiple BL membrane targets (CD20, CD37, CD22) in a multivalent manner. This outperforms the killing induced by soluble antibodies (standard-of-care: rituximab).

The aim of this project is to develop a novel immunotherapeutic platform that induces effective BL cytotoxicity, independent of chemotherapy. As a PhD candidate you will develop antibody-based immunofilaments, decipher the mechanism of tumor cell death, validate the therapeutic efficacy of immunofilaments in vivo, and study this in the context of the tumor microenvironment using BL patient tissues.

We are looking for a creative and motivated researcher with a Master’s degree in biomedical sciences, medical biology, or an equivalent field. In this position, you will set up cytotoxicity assays in BL cells and validate the findings in BL patient samples in collaboration with the Princess Máxima Center. Some experience with (immune) cell biological techniques is essential. Having a permit to work with animals, or being willing to obtain one, is considered 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 department of Medical BioSciences aims at a better understanding of our immune system using cell biological, immunological and molecular techniques and is centered around dendritic cells and lymphocytes which are key cells in anti-tumor immunity. Our multi-disciplinary department combines fundamental with translational research, including different clinical trials of dendritic cell immunotherapy in cancer patients.

We are embedded within the Radboud University Medical Center that provides an outstanding, multi-cultural and thriving research setting through technology platforms such as genomics, proteomics and advanced imaging. This research project will be executed in close collaboration with the Princess Máxima Center.

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 Prof. dr. A.B. van Spriel, Professor of Experimental Immunology or Dr. F. Meyer-Wentrup. Use the Apply button to submit your application.