An upto 4-year full-time post-doctoral researcher (1.0 FTE) position within LS-NeoCarE, a National Science Agenda Research by Consortia (NWA-ORC) project, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). Your project will focus on the development of anatomically shaped osteochondral implants to treat joint regeneration.

You will be performing cutting-edge cartilage biology-oriented research in which we aim to recreate the native collagen network (and its functionality) of the articular cartilage. You will contribute your knowledge on (cartilage) regeneration and extracellular matrix biology.

You will be part of a translational research group based at the Department of Orthopeadics of the UMC Utrecht and at the Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht. You will coordinate your work within an (inter)national network of collaborators, while working in an ambitious, motivated, multi-disciplinairy team of clinicians, veterinarians, physicists, chemists, biologists, and engineers.

You will work closely with our consortium partners of the Technical University Eindhoven and Leiden University Medical Center. You will co-supervise students during their internships and teaching opportunities will be available, if desired. You will be part of the Graduate School of Life Sciences and will receive training, supervision, and guidance for both your research work and personal/professional development, which provides you an excellent basis for an independent academic career.

• You hold a PhD degree in (Cartilage) Biology, Joint Regeneration, or a related field.
• You have indepth knowledge of tissue regeneration and preferably of cartilaginous tissues.
• You have an interested in the combination of technology and biology.
• You are curious, motivated, goal-oriented, eager to learn, and thrive in a multidisciplinary research environment. You are able to tackle challenges in an effective manner, also when this requires a creative/non-conventional approach.
• You are able to work independently, but also in a team. You are able to connect and collaborate with our consortium partners.
• You are able to communicate scientific ideas and results effectively. Proven proficiency in written and spoken English is required.
• Experience with cartilage biology and related techniques will be positively evaluated.

The initial contract will be for a period of one year, which can be extended upto a total of four years upon successful assessments.

The maximum salary for this position (36 - 36 hours) is € 5.088,00 gross per month based on full-time employment.

In addition, we offer an annual benefit of 8.3%, holiday allowance, travel expenses and career opportunities. The terms of employment are in accordance with the Cao University Medical Centers (UMC).

This position is hosted at the Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht (RMCU) and you will be appointed at the Department of Orthopedics of the UMC Utrecht. Located at the Utrecht Science Park, the RMCU brings together the largest group of researchers in regenerative medicine in the Netherlands. Our outstanding scientists, engineers, clinicians, students, ethicists and staff work closely together to translate scientific and technological discoveries into patient benefit.

The Department of Orthopaedics at the UMC Utrecht is a global leader in the development of novel regenerative technologies, such as 3D (bio)printing, the application of biomaterials and controlled release systems, and novel imaging modalities. The department also initiated the Utrecht Biofabrication Facility, a leading European knowledge center that aims at expediting emerging biofabrication technologies in areas of regenerative medicine, 3D in vitro cell culture models and therapeutic treatments. The department is also involved in the Utrecht Advances in vitro models Hub (U-AIM), taking key steps towards the establishment of the next generation animal-free biomedical research.