PhD position of retinal organoids on the chip

Job description
Retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and inherited retinal disorders are leading causes of blindness worldwide. Traditional models (animal or 2D cell cultures) fail to fully replicate the complex structure, vascularization, and function of the human retina. Retinal organoids-on-chip offer a breakthrough: they recreate 3D retinal architecture, allow integration of microvasculature, and enable real-time functional studies through electrophysiology. This platform provides an unprecedented window into human retinal development, disease mechanisms, and potential therapeutic interventions.

This research will focus on addressing these critical challenges, helping to pioneer innovative solutions for vision preservation and restoration.

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate for The European Research Council project to join an interdisciplinary project at the interface of bioengineering, neuroscience, and microfluidics. This project aims to develop vascularized retinal organoids-on-chip to study retinal physiology and retinal disease mechanisms.

The project combines cutting-edge stem cell biology, electrophysiology, and microfluidic organ-on-chip technology to create functional retinal models with integrated vasculature.

The PhD candidate will:

• Engineer retinal organoids with vascular networks using microfluidic platforms.
• Perform electrophysiological measurements to assess retinal function.
• Integrate biomedical approaches to study retinal development, function, and disease modeling.
• Collaborate in a multidisciplinary team of bioengineers, neuroscientists, and clinicians.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan and perform scientific experiments in an independent manner.
• Critically analyze data.
• Report results.
• Take a leading role in writing manuscripts.
• Good organization skills.
• Supervise MSc and/or BSc students.
• Active participation in group discussions.
• Perform electrophysiological recordings of retinal tissue and organoids.
• Conduct immunohistochemistry, proteomics, and confocal imaging to assess cell-type composition and tissue organization.
• Explore and implement emerging biomaterials to enhance bioprinting precision and functionality.
• Conceptualize, model, and fabricate custom electrophysiology systems and microfluidic devices for biological and electrical assays.
• Process and analyze large-scale MEA recordings, including spike detection, sorting, and network analysis.
• Interpret and communicate results effectively to the research team and stakeholders.
• Publish findings in high-impact journals.
• Present research at international conferences.
• Contribute to open-source data and code repositories.

Profile
Our ideal candidate:

• Completed education in biomedical sciences, biomedical engineering, computational bioengineering/neuroscience, or related fields.
• Experience with cell culture or organoid differentiation and basic molecular biology.
• Familiarity with biomedical microfluidics.
• Basic programming skills (Python or MATLAB).
• Ability to work independently and in interdisciplinary teams.
• Motivation to engage in both experimental and computational components.
• Highly desirable (not mandatory): experience with electrophysiology or MEA systems, knowledge of machine learning or signal processing, statistical knowledge.

Candidates should have a strong ambition to succeed in science, be result-oriented, and have strong communication skills (both orally and in writing) and a high English level to ensure efficient interaction within a multidisciplinary team. They should possess a critical scientific attitude and should be able to work both independently as well as in a team.

Well arranged
With us, you receive 8% holiday allowance, an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and – depending on your role – an irregular hours allowance ranging from 47% to 72%. In addition, you are entitled to 176 vacation hours per year (based on a 36-hour work week).

Compensation
You will receive a €0.18 per kilometer travel allowance. Public transport costs (2nd class) are fully reimbursed. If you work partly or entirely from home, you will receive €2.40 per home-working day. This way, everything is well arranged—wherever you work.

Flexible benefits scheme
With our flexible benefits scheme, you decide how to use part of your employment benefits. Purchase extra leave days or use your year-end bonus to buy a bicycle with tax benefits. You choose what suits you best.

Warm welcome
We believe a good start is important. Thanks to our onboarding app, you’ll be well prepared even before your first working day. During the introduction day, you’ll get to know your colleagues and our organization.

Changing allowance
If you are required to wear Radboudumc work clothing and change outside working hours, you will receive a changing allowance of €80 gross per month for a full-time position, provided this applies to your role.

Salary increase
At our organization, your work is valued. Your salary will increase in line with the collective labor agreement in two steps: by 3.5% as of July 1, 2026, and an additional 3.5% as of May 1, 2027. This means you’ll see a solid increase in your salary within a short period of time.

Work–life balance
We consider a healthy work–life balance essential. Through inspiring training sessions, mindfulness activities, and caregiver consultation hours, we support you in every phase of your life.

Growth and development
Our online learning environment offers a wide range of training courses, e-learnings, and educational programs—from professional specialization to personal development. This allows you to keep growing and make the most of your talents.

Welcome to Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc), where our research groups strive for innovative solutions that make impact on health and healthcare. We challenge the status quo to overcome current and future health challenges. Our goal is to shape the future of healthcare for generations to come. Our focus is on prevention, sustainability, and meaningful care, which we achieve through our in-depth understanding of disease mechanisms, clinical science, public health research, medical technology and data science. Our approach is centered on breakthroughs that can truly enhance personalized healthcare and public health.

At Radboudumc, a comprehensive range of research programs provide the compass for our research efforts. Each program has a clear goal, where collaboration within and outside our organization is highly valued. We integrate care, education and research in partnership with our patients to ensure that our research programs have significant impact on health and healthcare. We invite you to join us in our mission to create a healthy future for all.

Place of work
The candidate will be affiliated at the Department of Ophthalmology and perform experiments at the Department of Human Genetics. The candidate will be supervised by Dr. Zohreh Hosseinzadeh.

The Department of Ophthalmology of the Radboud University Medical Center is a global leader in the field of multifactorial and genetic retinal eye diseases. The research of the department is focused on retinal forms of blindness that affect large numbers of patients worldwide, especially inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs), such as retinitis pigmentosa, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Our aim is to develop personalized treatment and prevention options using metabolomics, natural history studies and genetic profiles combined with imaging parameters, and artificial intelligence.

The Department of Human Genetics is divided in multiple division all well known worldwide. The patient care (division clinical genetics) and genetic diagnostics (division genome diagnostics) performed within our department is hosted by an official and acclaimed Centre for Clinical Genetics. The division genome research performs groundbreaking research into the relationship between genes and diseases, as well as therapy development, notably concerning blindness and deafness, cancer, congenital anomalies, and mental handicaps. To identify and functionally characterize novel disease genes, we utilize a combination of biochemistry, genomics technologies, molecular biology, cell biology, and developmental systems such as iPSC model systems, Drosophila melanogaster, zebrafish and mouse.

Radboudumc is internationally renowned for its research and diagnostics on a variety of genetic disorders and the impact of personalized medicine. Both Departments offer an exciting working environment with enthusiastic people from many parts of the world, providing ample critical mass and a stimulating, collaborative atmosphere for high quality research.

Oogheelkunde
Bij de afdeling Oogheelkunde werk je aan diagnostiek en behandeling van alle aandoeningen van het oog en de structuren eromheen. Je behandelt veelvoorkomende én zeldzame oogaandoeningen met medicijnen, laserbehandelingen of operaties. Naast patiëntenzorg lever je een bijdrage aan onderzoek en onderwijs, waardoor je helpt de oogheelkundige zorg van morgen te verbeteren.

Please take this into account.

• This position requires a Certificate of Conduct (VOG).

Want to know more?
We’re happy to provide more information!

Yagmur Demircan-Yalcin
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