PhD Candidate in Cancer Systems Biology (0.8 - 1.0 FTE)

• Employment: 0.8 - 1.0 FTE
• Gross monthly salary: € 2,434 - € 3,111
• Faculty of Science
• Required background: Research University Degree
• Application deadline: 29 October 2021

Would you like to contribute to expanding our knowledge of the molecular interactions within a cancer cell? As a PhD Candidate, you will broaden our understanding of disease mechanisms in cancer and our ability to design effective therapies. This way, you help us improve the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer.

Cancer is a group of complex diseases frequently exhibiting deregulated gene expression and metabolism. This complexity resides in both the large number of molecules that are involved (transcripts, proteins, metabolites, and so on), and in the intricate interactions that these molecules can have with each other. A significant challenge in the area of cancer research today is that much of these interactions are yet unknown.

As a PhD candidate, you will contribute to the expansion of this knowledge, broadening our understanding of disease mechanisms in cancer and our ability to design effective therapies. The research in our lab includes both experimental ('wet-lab') and theoretical ('dry-lab') components. You will have the opportunity to: design and conduct a range of experiments in 2D and 3D tissue culture using breast cancer cell lines; analyse transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and fluxomics data; build and finetune quantitative models of gene expression, metabolism, and their interactions; and computationally simulate cancer cell behavior to develop novel theoretical viewpoints. You will gain a strong foundation in the molecular and systems biology of cancer cells, state-of-the-art omics technologies, and computational approaches to integrate multi-omics 'big data'.

You will be working in an interactive and multidisciplinary environment in the Molecular Developmental Biology group at RIMLS, under the supervision of Dr Rosemary Yu . As part of your PhD training, you will assist in one or two courses a year and  supervise BSc and MSc students within the context of your project.

Profile

• You hold an Master's degree in cell biology, biomedical sciences, systems biology, computational biology, or related field.
• You have experience in either experimental biology (e.g. tissue culture, gene editing) or computational biology (e.g. metabolic modelling, TRN reconstruction). Experience in both fields is advantageous but not required. However, a willingness to learn is essential.
• You have a strong science-driven curiosity in the fields of molecular oncology and cancer systems biology.
• You are motivated to work in a multidisciplinary environment at the cutting edge of science.
• You have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Fluency in English is required.

We are

The Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS) is a leading interfaculty research institute of the faculties of Science (FNWI) and Medicine (Radboud university medical center). The overarching aim of RIMLS is to decipher molecular mechanisms of disease. Research areas of RIMLS-FNWI include epigenetics, stem-cell and developmental biology, and computational biology. The central research theme is regulation of gene expression during development and in health and disease. Important tools used within the institute include next-generation sequencing, mass spectrometry, single-cell (multi-omics) analysis and computational analysis and method development. To perform state-of-the-art research, RIMLS-FNWI operates its own wet-lab and computational facilities. This fundamental and applied research in medical biology and molecular life sciences has clear links to biochemical research performed at the Institute for Molecules and Materials and other institutes of the Faculty of Science as well as to more clinically oriented research programmes at departments within the Radboud university medical center. RIMLS-FNWI actively contributes to teaching activities in the Biology study programme at Radboud University. RIMLS-FNWI currently has about 50 researchers (including 30 PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers) and provides a vibrant and international working environment. The institute actively participates in various European and worldwide consortia and collaborations.

Radboud University
We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!

We offer

• Employment for 0.8 (5 year contract) -1.0 FTE (4 year contract).
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,434 per month based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,111 from the fourth year onwards (salary scale P ).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will be appointed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract) or 3.5 years (5 year contract).
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services . Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 29 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions . You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.
Would you like more information?

For questions about the position, please contact Rosemary Yu, Assistant Professor at [email protected] .

Practical information and applications
You can apply until 29 October 2021, exclusively using the button below. Kindly address your application to Rosemary Yu. Please fill in the application form and attach the following documents:

• Letter of motivation.
• CV including names and contact details of 2 references.

The first round of interviews will take place in the week of 8 November.
We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure . It offers a rough outline of what you can expect during the application process, how we handle your personal data and how we deal with internal and external candidates.

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