PhD position bioinformatics and immunogenomics

4 Apr 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG)

Research Field

Medical sciences

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Country

Netherlands

Application Deadline

21 Apr 2024 - 22:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Hours Per Week

36.0

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

The overall project aim is to identify infectious disease (ID) triggers that can potentially cause immune-related noncommunicable diseases (IR-NCDs) like inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and post-COVID-19-condition. In this project, we aim to 1) identify IDs triggering IR-NCDs by screening for antibody responses against >500,000 ID antigens from infections, microbiome and environment, and 2) to disentangle environmental and genetic factors affecting the transition from IDs to IR-NCDs. We will combine novel multi-omics approaches and technologies for personalized genotyping of HLA and adaptive immune receptor genes to deeply profile samples of patients at time of diagnosis as well as before diagnosis. This project will represent the largest and most deeply profiled systematic study of multiple IR-NCDs in a large population cohort Lifelines. The analysis of antibodies will take into account other multi-omics measurements available for participants, such as genetics and gut microbiome. The project is part of EU-funded grant Dark Matter, and will be performed in UMCG in collaboration with partners from Austria, Germany, Hungary and other countries.

The candidate will work on the generation and analysis of wide-scale antibodies data in pre- and post-disease samples from individuals with several non-communicable diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue and post-COVID19), who are part of Lifelines population cohort. The antibodies profile will be linked with host environment, genetics and microbiome data. The work will be performed in close collaboration with colleagues from Groningen Microbiome Hub (https://groningenmicrobiome.org/ )

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

Requirements
Specific Requirements

Required Expertise
- Master’s degree with a focus on bioinformatics expertise ..
- 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
- Team player with excellent communication and collaborative skills

Additional experience in the following areas is highly desirable
- Experience handling large databases
- Knowledge of developing and debugging in Java/Python/R.
- Knowledge of immunology

Additional Information
Benefits

The PhD student position is for a duration of 3.5 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 € 2.901,- gross per month in the first year and a maximum of € 3.677,- 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.

For questions about the position
Any questions? Do contact us.

Selection process

Prof. Dr. R.K. Weersma, [email protected] , telefoonnummer: (050) 361 2620
Prof. Dr. A.P. Zhernakova, [email protected]

Additional comments

Prof. Dr. R.K. Weersma
(050) 361 2620
[email protected]

Prof. Dr. A.P. Zhernakova
[email protected]

Website for additional job details

https://www.academictransfer.com/339813/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)

Country

Netherlands

City

Groningen

Postal Code

9713 GZ

Street

Hanzeplein 1

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.academictransfer.com/en/339813/phd-position-bioinformatics-and-immu…

Contact

City

Groningen

Website

http://www.werken.umcg.nl/

Street

Hanzeplein 1

Postal Code

9713 GZ

STATUS: EXPIRED