PhD Student Brain multiregion singlecell transcriptomics of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/CFSyndrome NIN

Do you want to contribute to unravelling the cellular and molecular signatures of one of the most enigmatic illnesses, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), through state-of-the-art single-nuclei transcriptomic technologies and neuropathological approaches? Then this PhD position may be for you.

What you will be doing

ME/CFS is characterized by neurological symptoms and is often considered a brain disease. However, we do not yet understand what changes occur within the brain, mainly limited by scarcity of (postmortem) tissue for research. Together with the Netherlands Brain Bank and NMCB, we established a brain donor program focused on ME/CFS, and already generated exciting preliminary findings. This interdisciplinary project provides a unique opportunity to work with human postmortem tissue, high-throughput sequencing, and translational neuroimmunology. You will be involved in identifying molecular targets and immune biomarkers for ME/CFS, potentially guiding future therapeutic strategies. You will map transcriptional shifts in selected brain regions (hippocampus, frontal cortex, and hypothalamus) implicated in ME/CFS symptoms such as cognitive dysfunction and sleep disturbances.

• Use snRNA-seq to profile cellular heterogeneity and gene expression changes in relevant brain regions for ME/CFS symptomatology.
• Validate transcriptomic findings with immunohistochemistry and other complementary techniques.
• Collaborate with other labs to integrate brain and blood immune transcriptomics, identifying shared CNS–periphery immune alterations.

What you will be contributing

You are a highly motivated and curious candidate who is eager to unravel complex disease mechanisms.

• A Master’s degree in neuroscience, bioinformatics, biomedical sciences, or a related field.
• A strong interest in transcriptomics, brain pathology, and neuroimmune interactions.
• Experience with molecular biology techniques (e.g., immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, RNA-seq) is highly valued.
• Experience with scRNA-seq/snRNA-seq will be considered advantageous.
• A collaborative mindset, but also have the ability to work independently,
• Excellent communication skills in English

What we are offering

We offer an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic and interdisciplinary research environment at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN). You will benefit from:

• A supportive team of mentors in neuroimmunology.
• Access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.
• Opportunities to present at national and international conferences and contribute to high-impact publications.
• Good terms of employment.

About the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience

The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience is the country’s leading fundamental neuroscience research institute, in the international and progressive city of Amsterdam. It provides a critical mass of scientists (spanning more than 27 nationalities) and neuroscience facilities, in a highly interactive, dynamic, multi-cultural environment, with English as the working language.

Diversity & Inclusion

The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.

For additional enquiries, please contact Dr. Felipe Correa da Silva (f.correadasilva@nin.knaw.nl) or Prof. Inge Huitinga (i.huitinga@nin.knaw.nl).