Senior postdoc/assistant professor - Development of clinical gene editing therapies

We offer an assistant professor (UD) position for a molecular biologist to accelerate clinical application of gene therapies in the UMC Utrecht by focussing on precise gene editing and (non-viral) delivery to specific organs and cell types.

The project is funded by the Governmental Sector Money and aims to build a gene therapy platform in the UMC Utrecht. To this end, the assistant professor will work in a division overarching team that stimulates clinical development of gene therapies by focusing on one of the main challenges in this field: efficient delivery of gene products to the organs and cell types of interest. For this UMCU gene therapy delivery team, 3 new members will be recruited. The appointed assistant professor will develop optimal (preferably non-viral) delivery vectors for precise gene-editors in cell and animal models to prepare for clinical application of precise gene-correction strategies in the department of Metabolic Diseases in the Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht (RMCU). Two additional team-members are recruited to (1) develop viral delivery strategies for genetic therapies in the department of Translational Neurosciences in the UMCU and (2) to produce both ex vivo and in vivo genetic therapies for early phase clinical trials through the Innovation Center for Advanced Therapies (ICAT).

We offer a fulltime position (1.0 FTE) for a period of one year with the aim to extend the position in case of a good performance. The maximum salary is scale 12 supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year. In addition, the UMC Utrecht offers excellent secondary conditions.

The ideal candidate possesses

• A PhD and MSc in a relevant field (Pharmacy, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology) and a minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience
• Affinity with gene editing and delivery of gene products to specific cell types and organs with the ultimate aim of clinical application. This involves experience with and/or a specific interest in
• precise gene editing (e.g. CRISPR/Cas9, base editing, prime editing)
• current principles and techniques to generate and characterize delivery vectors for gene products (lipid nanoparticles, virus-like particles)
• organ specific cell models, animal studies and functional assays to ascertain treatment effects
• basic laboratory techniques like flow cytometry, quantitative (next generation) genome sequencing and gene expression analyses ((single cell) WGS, ddPCR, qPCR, RNAseq)
• Insight in the trajectory towards clinical application (scalability, GMP requirements, intellectual property, technology transfer methods)
• Intrinsic motivation, accountability, inquisitiveness, and good organization, communication (written and verbal), analytical and problem-solving skills
• Enthusiasm for working in an innovation driven, ambitious and fast paced environment, requiring both independence and close collaborations with the other team members with interdisciplinary backgrounds in an international environment
• Proficiency in English (written and spoken) and fulltime availability

The maximum salary for this position (36 - 36 hours) is € 6.156,00 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).

The position is embedded within the UMC Utrecht in the Metabolic Diseases and Innovative Therapies group in the Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht (RMCU) in the Hubrecht Institute. In the RMCU, different UMC Utrecht groups that perform stem cell and organoid research have joined forces to stimulate and accelerate fundamental research with a clear translational perspective. This has resulted in an ambitious, creative, and flourishing atmosphere, with many collaborative partners in the Utrecht Science Park (in The Hubrecht Institute, the UMC Utrecht, the Prinses Máxima Center, other UU departments (e.g. veterinary and pharmacy), attracting top scientists from the Netherlands and beyond.

In addition to the RMCU embedding, the postdoc will be team member of the UMCU gene therapy delivery platform and closely collaborate with the other UMC Utrecht groups working on gene therapies, in particular with ICAT and the department of Translational Neurosciences.