As a result of the changing climate, ocean and freshwater temperatures are rising while dissolved oxygen concentrations and pH are decreasing. More so than terrestrial animals, fish are very sensitive to the effects of global warming. In particular early life phases are vulnerable in a fish's life cycle. As a PhD candidate you will investigate the combined effects of climate change-related effects (thermal stress, hypoxia, acidification) on skeletal development in early fish life stages.

Only few studies have investigated the effects of temperature on the ability of fish to cope with environmental change. In early developmental stages the physiological mechanisms to cope with a changing environment have not yet fully matured. Thus, changes in environmental conditions are likely to hinder the development of fish embryos and larvae. An impaired development of, for example, skeletal structures and body shape hampers food intake, growth, and swimming performance, and will severely impact fitness in later life. This fact, however, is as yet underestimated. Besides negative effects on fish in the wild, skeletal abnormalities are a major problem for product quality in fisheries and aquaculture-farmed fish. In the past decade, predictions of impacts of climate change on biodiversity, and ways to model changes in species distributions have gained relatively more attention than the importance of understanding physiological principles of an organism in predicting its response to climate change.

The focus of this PhD project is on research. You will design and perform experimental research to unravel how interactions between climate change-induced environmental changes affect zebrafish development and vulnerability. Circumstances permitting, you may be invited to work as a teaching assistant in one of the courses coordinated by our group.

• You are an enthusiastic, highly motivated candidate animal physiologist with a demonstrable strong interest in organismal physiology, developmental biology and/or comparative endocrinology.
• You are curious, proactive, detail-oriented and have the ability to take ownership of the project.
• You should hold or be about to complete an MSc degree (or equivalent) in biology, medical biology, molecular life sciences, or a related field.
• You hold a FELASA B certificate (laboratory animal science) or will obtain such a certificate within the first year of the project.
• You have affinity with designing and conducting experimental empirical research.
• Experience with molecular, analytical and/or modern imaging techniques is a plus.

Fixed-term contract: You will be appointed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract) or 3.5 years (5-year contract in case you work part-time).

• Employment for 0.8 (5 year contract) - 1.0 FTE (4 year contract).
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,443 per month based on a 38-hour working week and will increase to €3,122 from the fourth year onwards (salary scale P).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will be employed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract) or 3.5 years (5 year contract).
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 29 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Additional employment conditions Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

The Animal Ecology and Physiology group is part of the Ecology and Physiology cluster of the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES, formerly IWWR). We use multidisciplinary approaches to understand mechanisms that orchestrate physiological responses and adaptations of fish to ecological stressors. The Radboud Zebrafish Facility takes a central position in our research, which is characterised by a transparent and open research environment in which all aspects needed for frontline zebrafish research are within reach. You will collaborate with colleagues from departments within the institute and beyond, both nationally and internationally. The main supervisors for this PhD position are Dr Juriaan Metz, Dr Marnix Gorissen and Dr Peter Klaren.

Radboud University
We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!