Your function within our department

Radiotherapy plays a vital role in the treatment of lung cancer. Unfortunately, for a subset of patients with lung cancer, tumor control after irradiation remains a considerable problem. This calls for a way to identify these patients with suboptimal tumor control as well as for novel treatment approaches to improve their outcome.

At present, our biological knowledge is expanding rapidly, enabling us to better understand the processes that determine which tumors respond well to radiotherapy and which do not. The biological characteristics of tumors differ between patients and even within tumors, and change over time. Response modeling forms the link between biological characteristics and treatment response. Using characteristics of the patient and tumor and imaging data, dose-response modeling will allow us to personalize treatments, offering the best fitting treatment to each patient. Thus, we aim to improve treatment response and postulate novel treatment options to be tested in our clinic.

In this project, we seek to develop and validate computational models that integrate spatiotemporal information on biology, dose and response, and their relationships, to develop outcome prediction models for lung cancer patients treated with radiotherapy. This will involve building/extending a tumor-response model, using the results of our biological research program and existing patient data. You will apply the model to explore optimized dose distributions and fractionations to develop innovative fractionation schemes.

Your research is part of a larger project on personalized response-adapted radiation therapy and will be embedded in the Sonke group at the Department of Radiation Oncology of the Netherlands Cancer Institute. The research in our group centers around the development of adaptive radiotherapy strategies. You will collaborate with other researchers in the group as well as with radiation technicians and clinicians in our department.

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic PhD student with a strong affinity for (biomedical) modeling and a clinical research environment. The candidate should have a master’s degree in physics, biomedical engineering, mathematics, informatics, technical medicine, or a related field. Good communication skills and the ability to work together with others in an international team are required. Experience in programming, preferably in Python, would be advantageous.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) is an internationally renowned institute dedicated to fundamental, translational and clinical cancer research. It is the only comprehensive cancer center in The Netherlands, with the cancer-specialized Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (AVL) hospital under the same roof as the NKI. The NKI is a dynamic institute with a highly interactive and collaborative atmosphere and accommodates over 50 research groups.

Your temporary employment will be full-time (36 hours per week) for a period of 4 years. The gross salary per month will range from € 3.523 to a maximum of € 4.277 (standard Dutch PhD student scale). In addition, you will receive 8,33% holiday pay and end-of-year bonus (8,33%). The terms of employment will be in accordance with the CAO Ziekenhuizen (Collective Labor Agreement for Hospitals).

For more information in regards to the secondary conditions please visit our website: https://www.nki.nl/careers-study/how-to-apply/

Interested? 
Would you like to know more about this vacancy or our organization? Please contact: Dr. Zeno Gouw (z.gouw@nki.nl), dr. ing. Astrid van der Horst (a.vd.horst@nki.nl) or prof. dr. ir. Jan-Jakob Sonke (j.sonke@nki.nl). 
You can visit our website at https://www.nki.nl/research/research-groups/jan-jakob-sonke/

Suggested reading
Gouw ZAR, Jeong J, Rimner A, et al. "Primer shot" fractionation with an early treatment break is theoretically superior to consecutive weekday fractionation schemes for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Radiother Oncol. 2023;190:110006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2023.110006
Jeong J, Oh JH, Sonke JJ, et al. Modeling the Cellular Response of Lung Cancer to Radiation Therapy for a Broad Range of Fractionation Schedules. Clin Cancer Res. 2017;23:5469-5479. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-3277.

How to apply?
Applications should include your resume, a motivation letter, and the contact information of at least 2 references, and can be submitted via the portal (http://www.nki.nl/working-at-the-nki/).

The deadline for applications is July 11, 2024.

The NKI values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive work environment that stimulates the best in each individual. Applications of all individuals are welcomed regardless of age, ancestry, religion, disability, distance from the labor market, sexual orientation or gender identity.