As a reseacher you want to matter. You really want to make a difference in the lives of people with a cardiovascular condition. Now and in the future. That is why you consciously choose to work at the Department of Cardiology of the UMCG, a dynamic department where research and clinical practice are intertwined. We translate problems that we experience in clinical practice into scientific research. We improve patient care with the results of our scientific findings. We believe that providing talent room to develop, a solution can ultimately be found for every cardiovascular condition. As a PhD student, UMCG Cardiology therefore offers you many opportunities to follow your interests and give your talent space.

Job description
Heart failure is a major health care problem. Why certain people develop heart failure and why others are protected from it, is currently unknown. The objective of the ERC supported project “DISSECT-HF” is to generate 3D engineered heart tissues with the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) from specific forms of heart failure. It focusses on three etiologies of HF with a clear trigger and a large inter-individual susceptibility (pregnancy induced heart failure, anthracycline cardiotoxicity and PLN cardiomyopathy) to unravel common pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the development of heart failure.

Recent work from the Van der Meer lab has shown that disease mechanisms can be identified with the use of stem cells and tissue engineering (Hoes et al. Circulation 2020, Vermeer et al. JCI 2021). Furthermore, we explore the use of RNA therapeutics in the treatment of heart failure (Grote Beverborg et al. Nat Comm 2021).

For the DISSECT-HF project you will supervise a PhD student and will generate 3D tissues with the use of hiPSC and expose them to specific triggers. Identified targets will be further explored in animal and cell models. You must have an interest in cardiology and translational science. You will make use of a wide array of methods, including cell culture, tissue engineering, histology, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic assays. The results of the studies will be published in peer-reviewed Journals.

- A PhD degree in (bio-medical) sciences.
- Interest in translational cardiology.
- Previous experience with cell and animal models of heart disease is a pro.
- Able to express oneself in English in word and writing.
- Organizational talents.
- 2 references.

The UMCG has a preventive Hepatitis B policy. The UMCG can provide you with the vaccination, should it be required for your position.

In case of specific professions a ‘Certificate of Good Conduct’ is required.

A full-time appointment for one year (36 hours a week), with the possibility of extension for a maximum of four years. Your salary will be a maximum of € 4.800,- gross per month (scale 10), depending on your qualifications and relevant experience, based on a full-time appointment. In addition, the UMCG will offer you 8% holiday pay, and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The conditions of employment comply with the Collective Labour Agreement for Medical Centres (CAO-UMC).

Hartcentrum

- You are part of a great team, with strong interaction between experimental, genetic, epidemiological and clinical research groups, all on one floor.
- The PI is present, interacts with you, and has weekly meetings.
- We are well-funded and you will have access to all resources needed for your project.
- There are several PhD students working on this topic, partly under your supervision.
- We have strong connections with the translational cardiology community in Europe and the USA.