PhD candidate for Cardiovascular Diseases - School CARIM - Department of Biochemistry - Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences

The cause of thrombosis lies within the three pillars based on Virchows’ Triad: vessel, flow, and blood. Traditionally these three pillars are approached separately by research. This project will utilize world leading expertise of these three pillars to combine them into development of a novel stem cell model, Virchows’ Organoid. The project will involve pluripotent stem cell culture, vascular cell differentiation (endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cell), CRISPRCas9 gene editing and flow-mechanics to build a model to study the three pillars of Virchows’ Triad. This interdisciplinary approach will allow novel understanding of coagulation and thrombosis by combining vessel wall (imaging and RNA-sequencing), flow dynamics (platelet flow) and changes to blood protein biochemistry (ELISA) in a single model, termed Virchows’ Organoid.

The successful applicant will be placed in the Department of Biochemistry, CARIM in our newly established pluripotent stem cell facility under guidance of Prof. Leon Schurgers (vessels). The research group is multidisciplinary and collaborates closely with the HeartVascular-Center (HVC) of MUMC+, as well as the Department of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology (UniKlinikum Aachen) and University California, Irvine (UCI).

Internally within the department of Biochemistry the successful applicant will receive cosupervision from Dr Judith Cosemans (flow) and Dr Henri Spronk (blood biochemistry). Furthermore, the successful applicant will benefit from the friendly and inclusive culture of the laboratory with a highly motivating working environment in the city of Maastricht. There is possibility of international placement to collaborator labs in California (Prof Hughes) or Germany (Prof Kramann) depending on what is suitable for the candidate’s development and interests.