What you are going to do
Of all common solid cancers, pancreatic cancer has the worst prognosis. Despite intense research efforts, the prognosis of this disease has only minimally improved over the last decades and it is clear that novel research approaches are required. The recently established PRECODE European consortium aims to leverage organoids as a novel experimental model system to better understand key processes that underlie pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis. In pancreatic cancer, the collective of non-tumor cells in a cancer called stroma, is suspected to contribute to poor outcome by driving aggressive tumor cell behavior. In this project, the PhD candidate will identify and target candidate genes suspected to mediate tumor-stroma crosstalk and assess their potential as biomarkers in the context of organoid (co)cultures. The PhD candidate will contribute to the generation of organoids for the consortium by accruing patients and culturing biopsy material at Amsterdam UMC (location AMC), and in collaboration with the other PhD candidates in the consortium, establish the optimal culturing conditions that allow meaningful drug screening and other experimental manipulations. Several gene expression-based classification methods have been described that identify subgroups of pancreatic cancer. These also relate to tumor-stroma crosstalk and bear relevance for treatment outcome. To enable meaningful and uniform classification of the pancreatic cancer organoids to be used in the consortium, the applicant will develop a classification method to accurately assign organoids to molecular subgroups and assess the stromal contributions to these. The overarching aim of this basic and translational research is to improve the outcome of a devastating disease.

What we expect from you
You have a master’s degree in life sciences, other (bio)medical sciences, or a related topic. We are looking for an intelligent and eager young researcher. Experience in cell culture, bioinformatics, and basic knowledge on pancreatic cancer is preferred. Applicants can have any nationality, but the MSCA-ITN mobility clause applies (more than 24 months of the past 3 years were spent outside of the Netherlands). Please provide your CV in Europass format.

Fixed-term contract: 36 months.

We offer you ample opportunity for development, deepening and broadening, additional training and a place to grow! Working at AMR means working in an inspiring and professional environment where development is encouraged in every respect.

• The maximum gross monthly salary based on a 36-hour work week is € 3.103,- (scale OIO CAO UMC).
• The base salary does not include holiday pay (8%) and a year-end bonus (8.3%).
• We offer a contract for 36 months, with possible possible extension.
• In addition to excellent accessibility by public transport, AMC also has a sufficient number of parking spaces for employees.
• Pension is accrued at Be Frank.

For an overview of all our other terms of employment, see https://werkenbijamc.nl/arbeidsvoorwaarden-amr/.

Amsterdam UMC, locatie AMC

Bijlsma group

The PhD candidate will be working in the Bijlsma group at the Laboratory for Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology (department head: Jan Paul Medema) at Amsterdam UMC, location AMC. This department has an excellent track record, with numerous high-impact publications in the field of gastrointestinal cancer, and is supported by prestigious funding frameworks. The research team consists of mostly (molecular) biologists and medical doctors. For this particular project, the PhD candidate will work closely together with clinical colleagues from departments such as Surgery, Pathology, but also internationally with the other members of the PRECODE MSCA-ITN consortium (precode-project.eu; www.facebook.com/precodeproject; twitter.com/PrecodeP; www.linkedin.com/company/precode-project/).