Introduction

COPD is a devastating chronic lung disease for which no curative treatments are available. Global prevalence of COPD is estimated at 12% and is expected to rise over the next decades, due to increasing smoking behavior and air pollution in developing countries and aging populations in high-income countries. The clinical course of COPD is characterized by exacerbations (acute worsening of illness). Exacerbations incur the need for acute treatment and hospitalisation. In addition, exacerbations play a crucial role in the progression of lung function deterioration. Prevention of exacerbations is one of the key aims of COPD treatment but is largely ineffective. Insufficient understanding of the pathobiology and heterogeneity of these events and lack of validated biomarkers to predict and optimize treatment of exacerbations contribute to this unmet need. The onset of exacerbations was recently shown to coincide with a shift in the respiratory tract microbiome composition. Regular monitoring of the respiratory tract microbiome composition in exacerbation prone COPD patients thus represents an opportunity to predict exacerbation occurrence earlier. This enables clinicians to initiate appropriate therapies to prevent exacerbations.

Project Description

Longitudinal COPD patient will be followed up for exacerbations and state of the art molecular techniques will be used to analyse the microbiome composition. During this project we aim to get further insight in the role of the respiratory tract microbiome composition in the prediction  and treatment options to prevent exacerbations in COPD.

Function description

The PhD candidate will :

• Study relevant literature and keep up with the latest scientific developments in the fields of inflammatory lung diseases, lung microbiota and molecular technologies.
• Follow courses relevant for his/her scientific development that contribute to the successful completion of the project.
• Plan, coordinate and perform molecular and microbiological and laboratory analyses.
• Conduct the biostatistical data-analyses.
• Supervise research assistants and students, where appropriate.
• Deliver results in line with the project plan milestones and deliverables.
• Write high-quality papers about the results obtained, and publish these in high-impact scientific journals.
• Complete a PhD-thesis within 4 years.

MSc in Molecular Life Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, or similar with knowledge of microbiome research in general, and proven interest in molecular or microbiological lab work. Experience with statistical software packages like SPSS, SAS or R is required. Good communication and organizational skills are a needed, as well as qualities to work within a team.

You will be based in Maastricht and coincidentally in Amsterdam.

Fixed-term contract: 48.

The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > Support > UM employees.

Maastricht University

Maastricht University (UM) has around 18,000 students and 4,300 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. UM is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. UM placed #10 in Times Higher Education’s (THE) Young Universities Ranking 2019, and #127 in THE’s World University Rankings 2020.

NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism 

NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism initiates and catalyzes translational research into nutritional health benefits and risks focusing on metabolic and chronic inflammatory diseases. Through its research master and PhD programme NUTRIM aims to educate scientists of high academic excellence and ambassadors to support and develop the filed of nutrition, metabolism and toxicology within and outside the Netherlands. 16 Biomedical, clinical, and behavioural-science departments are incorporated within NUTRIM. The school is a partner in the topsector Life Sciences and Health (LSH). These unique consortia of government, industry and research aim to stimulate the transfer of knowledge generated in fundamental research to Dutch industry and thus to strengthen its innovative power and competitive strength.

Department of Medical Microbiology

The research lines of Medical Microbiology focus on the role of infections in chronic diseases such as COPD and inflammatory bowel diseases, antibiotic resistance, sexually transmitted diseases and the prevention of spread of infection. On almost all these areas, the Department of Medical Microbiology extensive experience in contract research. Characteristic of research within the department is strongly multidisciplinary nature, resulting in local, national - in Netherlands include the RIVM and GGD Zuid Limburg - and international partnerships.

The department conducts research fits into the research facility subject. The research is embedded in the research schools and CAPHRI NUTRIM. In addition, the department works with research that fits in the research school EURON.