The successful candidate for this position will be working on a multidisciplinary project aimed at revealing the molecular heterogeneity in the reward system of the adult mouse brain in health and disease at a single cell level. This will be investigated using a combination of single cell RNA sequencing and other ‘omics’ techniques, molecular biology and computational tools.

As the ideal candidate for this position, you are an outstanding and motivated PhD candidate with a master’s degree, and must have undergone training in molecular biology/neurobiology and/or computational skills (e.g. Python/R). Knowledge of single cell sequencing (e.g. scRNAseq or other omics techniques), epigenetics, neuroscience or cell isolation from mouse tissue is highly advantageous. It is essential for you to be able to work independently and to be conceptually strong, as well as interested in working in a unique multidisciplinary team with researchers from several institutes. The results of this project will be presented in a PhD thesis.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

For this 100% post, the maximum salary will be € 3.103 (gross). This will be a temporary appointment for 4 years.

University Medical Centre Utrecht

With over 1,100 beds and more than 11,000 employees, the University Medical Center Utrecht is one of the largest academic health care centers in the Netherlands. Our aim is to improve. Our patients’ health, but also our students and employees. Whether you are a doctor or a business economist, a researcher or a SAP-specialist: working with us means having a job that matters, access to the best facilities and the opportunity to grow as a professional and contribute towards innovative health care.

Scientific research at the UMC Utrecht is rooted in the world around us. We listen to people; the wishes and needs of patients come first. Together with our national and international partners, we invest in innovation and research in order to ensure that our care remains of the highest quality. Focus is pivotal in this, which is why we have concentrated our research in six programs:

·       Brain

·       Infection & Immunity

·       Circulatory Health

·       Personalized Cancer Care

·       RM & Stem Cells

·       Child Health

Department of Translational Neuroscience

The Department of Translational Neuroscience is the fundamental research department of the Neuroscience Division at the University Medical Center Utrecht. The Department’s research mission is to discover and delineate mechanisms and processes fundamental to the development of neural systems and to the control of behavior, and to translate these to pathogenesis and disease models. The unique advantage of this Department in the Neuroscience Division is that it is embedded in the clinical environment of UMCU, is strongly established within Utrecht Science Park, and is multidisciplinary in nature. The Department’s toolkit includes lightsheet microscopy, optogenetics, electrophysiology, and an iPSC lab, as well as its own animal facility, viral vector generation and more.