The overall project aim is to identify infectious triggers that can potentially cause immune-triggered ME/CFS and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and post-COVID-19-condition. The aim of this PhD project is to 1) To study the effects of microbiome in the onset and development of ME/CFS by investigating the gut microbiome composition in 900 ME/CFS patients and matched population controls. The collection of samples is currently ongoing. 2) To investigate the relationship between the gut microbiome and presence of antibodies against microbes measured by the high-throughput PhIPseq method. 3) To investigate if environmental and genetic factors might trigger the onset and influence the development of ME/CFS and NCDs, through the microbiome-dependent and immune-dependent mechanisms. This project will represent the largest and most deeply profiled systematic study of ME/CFS and other NCDs in a large Lifelines biobank. The project is part of two consortia: NWO ZonMw (Dutch funding body) funded ME/CFS lines consortium, and EU-funded grant Dark Matter, and will be performed in UMCG in collaboration with partners from the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Hungary and other countries. The candidate will be embedded in department of Genetics and will work in close collaboration with colleagues from Groningen Microbiome Hub (https://groningenmicrobiome.org/), department of Gastroenterology and department of Psychiatry.

Papers describing the methods of antibody analysis and the Lifelines population:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9558073/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37164013/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1074761323001851

Papers describing the microbiome work of our team:
https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.aad3369
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04567-7
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19490976.2023.2281360
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-020-00763-1

Required Expertise
- Master’s degree, preferably with a focus on bioinformatics.
- A collaborative spirit to work effectively within an international interdisciplinary team and with clinical partners.
- Excellent organizational skills to manage complex workflows and data collection processes.
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the capability to present research findings to both a specialist and non-specialist audience.
- Additional experience in the following areas is highly desirable.
- Experience handling large databases.
- Knowledge on the human microbiome.
- Knowledge of immunology.
- Knowledge of developing and debugging in R or Python.

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.

The PhD student position is for a duration of 4 years, with an initial contract of one year followed by an extension, based on performance. The candidate will be provided with a stimulating work environment and opportunities for professional development within the field of infectious disease diagnostics. Your salary will be a minimum of € 3.017,- gross per month in the first year and a maximum of € 3.824,- gross per month (scale PRO) in the final (4th) year, 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).

We are looking forward to your application and the possibility of you joining our team to contribute to this groundbreaking research endeavour.

Genetica

The position will be embedded at the department of Genetics at the University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands. The University of Groningen is a top 100 University that has built a reputation for world-class research. You will follow courses and do research in small groups where personal interaction with your supervisor is an important part of your education. As a result, our students design their research and their program to meet their own personal interests.

Aleksandr Kurilshchikov
06 3950 9661
a.m.kurilshchikov@umcg.nl

Alexandra Zhernakova
06 2166 1813
sasha.zhernakova@gmail.com