PhD student on Dynamic Disease Maps and Digital Twins for novel treatments of OA with Cartilage Organoids

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex disease in which multiple tissues in the joint are affected. Recently, multiple OA risk genes were identified based on small genetic variations (SNPs) in the regulatory sequences of these genes. These variations can lead to unfavorable expression of these genes contributing to disease progression. OA patients have different unique combinations of SNPs that lead to OA onset and progression. In this project we will uncover the integrated effects of deviant OA risk gene expression in cartilage with the aim to develop effective disease-modifying therapies. As a PhD student, you will play a central role in this process by building an in silico disease map that models these effects and enables more precise treatments.

You will be part of the multidisciplinary research group of dr. Janine Post, who specializes in quantitative biology and computational approaches to understanding cell fate and is part of the Department of Bioengineering Technologies. This work will be performed in collaboration with prof. dr. Ingrid Meulenbelt of the LUMC, an expert in OA pathophysiology and molecular epidemiology, whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of OA genetics and its clinical implications.

You are a highly motivated researcher who is driven by curiosity, and you have:

• A Master’s degree in in biomedical engineering, bioinformatics, systems biology, genetics, or a related field
• Strong experimental and theoretical skills in systems biology, computational modeling of networks, or big OMICs data analysis.
• Strong communication skills with experts in the fields of molecular biology, genetics and mathematical modeling
• Experience in scripting languages like Python or Matlab
• A passion for translational research
• A Master's degree in English