Cardiovascular disease is the dominating cause of death in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), accounting for 40–50% of mortality in stages 4-5. Disturbed mineral homeostasis contributes substantially to this unacceptably high risk. In recent years, a novel mineral-buffering mechanism in the circulation was identified, which will provide novel treatment approaches in the years to come. We and others have demonstrated that the formation of calciprotein-particles (CPP) is an inherent defense mechanism against the formation of circulating calcium-phosphate crystals and vascular calcification. Do you want to contribute to this research?

In the COMBAT project, we aim to modulate the quantity and composition of CPP to reduce their pathogenicity in CKD. Therefore, we will monitor the formation and clearance of CPP in cell models, animal models and patients. Moreover, we will determine the composition of CPP in patients with CKD to identify the pathogenic factors causing vascular calcification.

In this project, you will:

• Study the mechanisms that regulate the formation and clearance of CPP using cell culture models.
• Monitor vascular calcification in rats injected with CPP to identify the components that explain their vasculotoxicity.
• Work in a multidisciplinary team of scientists, clinicians and patients to improve the diagnostics and therapy of patients with tubulopathies.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Designs and performs scientific research in the area of cell biology, microscopy, and physiology.
• Generates and analyses the data in order to contribute to scientific publications and presents findings at scientific meetings.
• Performs research in a stimulating environment and team.
• Works in an international research group with fellows from many countries.
• Completes the project with a scientific dissertation.

Our ideal PhD candidate is MSc in (Medical) Biology, Biomedical Sciences or Medicine. You are independent and have an well-structured working style. You have ambition to succeed in scientific research.

Furthermore, you recognize yourself in the profile below:

• Certificate to work with animals (Article 9).
• Experience with microscopy and molecular level of thinking.
• Well-developed social skills directed to work in a team.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

At Radboud university medical center, you build on your future. We are committed to providing the best care, education, and research. And we are true to our word, because we help you develop and seize opportunities and give you the room to grow. As an employer, we believe that employees should feel vital and happy at work in all stages of life. We are also committed to creating a healthy and safe working environment. Our employment conditions contribute to that. What we offer:

• The salary depends on education. Scale 10 will be offered to MSc medical graduates; a gross monthly salary between €3.359 and € 5.292. Those holding degrees in other disciplines will be offered scale 10A: upon commencement of employment, you will start at scale 10A, step 0 (€2,901 based on a full-time appointment). Over a maximum period of 4 years, you will progress to scale 10A, step 3 (€3,677 based on a full-time appointment). You will also receive an 8% holiday allowance, an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a 47% to 72% bonus for working unsocial hours.
• Plenty of opportunities to develop yourself. For example, you can follow various courses via our online learning environment. A lot of attention will also be paid to your wellbeing and vitality. For instance, you can take advantage of:
  
  • a 40% discount on gym membership at the Radboud Sports Center.
  • the Company Support Team and a personal coach if you experience a life-changing event.
  • a financially favorable option to work less through a generation scheme if you are approaching state retirement age.
  • support with achieving a good work-life balance at every stage of your life. This includes advice and training (from ‘Millennial Dilemmas’ to ‘Your Career After 57’), activities at our own mindfulness center, and informal caregiving consultations if you have any questions about combining your work and caregiving tasks at home.
• 168 vacation hours per year based on a 36-hour working week. Want more vacation? You can buy additional vacation hours with your end-of-year bonus.
• 26 weeks of parental leave, of which 9 weeks are paid.
• Extra-favorable leave conditions. For example, our short-term caregiving leave is not 2 but 4 weeks per year and even 12 weeks per year for partner and child.
• Pension accrual with the ABP Pension Fund. Radboud university medical center pays 70% of the pension contribution.
• Discount on the supplementary packages of two collective health insurance policies and on ten other types of insurance, from home insurance to legal assistance.
• A travel allowance via our Employment Conditions Selection Model and a working-from-home allowance of €2 per day.

Radboudumc

The departments of Medical BioSciences and Nephrology provide an international and stimulating working environment and are an exciting place to perform translational and clinical research and enjoy teaching. The departments encompass complementary research groups whose interests range from cardiovascular disease, molecular regulation of ion transport processes in the kidney to the study of metabolism in the body. Working collaboratively within these departments, we use our expertise to investigate how molecules, cells, organisms and humans function and how we might modulate their physiology to ultimately improve health of kidney patients.

This project is funded by the Dutch Kidney Foundation and will be executed in the Kidney Physiology group, which is part of the 3D Biology and Kidney Disorders Research Programs within the Radboudumc. As a PhD candidate you will be embedded in a leading multidisciplinary graduate school within the domain of molecular mechanisms of disease and particularly in the fields of molecular medicine, cell biology and translational research.

Radboudumc
Welcome to Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc), where scientific breakthroughs are born through the curiosity and passion of our collaborating researchers in a vibrant environment. We believe trust and excitement are crucial elements to achieving our goals, and we approach our research as teams and with the utmost rigor to make a significant impact on health and healthcare. Our researchers are driven by their fascination with the biological, psychological, and sociological mechanisms underlying health and healthcare. They collaborate with partners from all over the world to improve health outcomes for all. Radboudumc unites patient care, research, education, and corporate learning, which allows us to approach our mission to shape the health and healthcare of the future in an innovative and person-centered way.

Our ambition is to lead the way in the pursuit of prevention, sustainability, meaningful care. We believe that through our research, we can significantly improve the health and well-being of society. Join us on our mission to make a difference in healthcare. Become a part of our community of gifted researchers, professionals or patient partners who are dedicated to making a real impact on population health and healthcare.

Read what it is like to do a PhD at the Radboud University Medical Center.