PhD student: unravelling Siglec-dependent immune suppression

Working at Amsterdam UMC

PhD student: unravelling Siglec-dependent immune suppression

Using human in vitro models of pancreas tumor and stromal cells in order to study their modulatory effects on Siglec 7 and Siglec 9 expressing immune cells.

The project

At Amsterdam UMC, our group, led by Prof.dr. Yvette van Kooyk, studies the interplay between the immune system and cancer. In particular, we are interested in how glycosylation modulates the immune system. We study how novel glyco-immune checkpoints of tumor and stroma inhibit immune cells function in the tumor microenvironment. For this, we are using human in vitro models of pancreas tumor and stromal cells and study their modulatory effects on Siglec 7 and Siglec 9 expressing immune cells. We perform this study in close collaboration with the group of Alessandra Cambi from RadboudUMC.

About your role

• You will perform immune phenotyping of the tumor microenvironment of Pancreatic cancer;
• You will perform multiplex confocal microscopy in combination with histocytometry analysis to elucidate spatial distributions of immune parameters in the dynamic tumor microenvironment;
• You will use state-of-the-art high-dimensional cytometry techniques, RNA-sequencing and will apply bioinformatics to analyze the data;
• You will generate glycoengineered tumor and stromal cells and perform 3D co-cultures of them together with immune cells or single cell tumor biopsies;
• You will design and write scientific articles and present data at scientific conferences.

About you

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic researcher with:

• A Master’s degree in a field related to biomedical sciences, (medical) biology, biochemistry or bioinformatics;
• Affinity for immunology and cancer and interest in molecular cell biology;
• Affinity with 3D tumour organoid, and cellular co-cultures;
• Interest in pushing the boundaries of research through technology-driven applications;
• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and verbal;
• Team player with strong collaborative skills and a proactive attitude.

Our offer

• A flying start to your career in scientific research;
• Plenty of room for your drive to shape tomorrow's healthcare;
• Working on large-scale and in-house research, with motivated colleagues from all over the world;
• You will be employed by Amsterdam UMC Research BV;
• A contract for 12 months, with the intention to extend for a total of 4 years. The Guideline PhD contract applies to this vacancy;
• Salary scale OIO: € 3.017 to € 3.824 gross based on full-time employment (depending on education and experience) and a year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• Holiday hours: 190.4 per year for full-time and a possibility to save additional hours;
• Pension accrual with BeFrank, a modern, comprehensible and fairly priced pension;
• For >7 km each way, 100% reimbursement for public transport travel costs and, for private transport, €0.18 per km up to a maximum of 40 km each way;
• Do you prefer walking or cycling? Take advantage of our good bike scheme. Moreover, you will receive a reimbursement of €0.18 per km.

About your workplace

You will perform research within the department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology located in the vibrant environment of the O|2 Lab Building and at an international high competitive level. The department consists of several research groups that study cellular and molecular interactions in health and disease.

You will work in a team with young and enthusiastic researchers, who have ample experience in novel techniques in the field of immunology, biochemistry, cell biology and cancer. Your work is embedded in the research institutes Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA) and Amsterdam Immunity and Infection Institute (AI&I). The candidate will have the opportunity to participate in courses, congresses and grant opportunities organized by the CCA and AI&I. This study is supported by ZonMW and you will work closely together with a PhD student located at the RadboudUMC in the group of Alessandra Cambi.

Amsterdam UMC Research BV supports non-profit scientific research. In doing so, we provide researchers with everything they need to excel. Our principal investigators (PIs) and project leaders offer support in the field of project management, finance and human resources. In medical scientific research projects, legal support is also provided.

Amsterdam UMC has an open culture. This means that we hope that everyone feels welcome in our organization and that we strive to offer equal opportunities to everyone. We therefore cordially invite all interested parties to respond to this vacancy.