PhD Researcher – Development of Human Pain Models for Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

We are seeking an ambitious and enthusiastic PhD student to join our international pain research group and the new OMBION center. The focus of this position is to develop innovative neuro-immune non-animal methods (NAMs), including advanced human-based models that mimic or capture pain in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The aim is to replace traditional animal models with in vitro NAMs that accurately reflect mechanisms of arthritis pain—a critical and currently missing component in translational research. These models will enable more precise prediction of analgesic efficacy and disease-modifying effects of novel therapies, thereby accelerating the development of effective treatments for patients.

Dit ga je doen

As a PhD student, you will work closely with a lab technician and a postdoctoral researcher on the development and validation of these models using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). In collaboration with members of the OMBION consortium, you will expand our systems to include relevant pain-associated cell types and simulate their interactions with joint tissues. You will implement and validate molecular reporter technologies to monitor neuronal activation and pain-related signaling pathways, and perform functional readouts such as calcium imaging and electrophysiology.

Hier ga je werken

You will be based in the Neuro-Immunology of Pain research group, part of the Center for Translational Immunology (CTI) at UMC Utrecht. Our international team collaborates to better understand chronic pain and to develop novel strategies for pain treatment. The CTI is a well-equipped department with experts across all major areas of immunology and is embedded in the UMC Utrecht focus area “Infection & Immunology”. The research environment is designed to facilitate true bench-to-bedside translation.

This position is embedded in the OMBION consortium of the Centre for Animal-Free Biomedical Translation, a national network that connects academic and industrial partners. OMBION aims to accelerate the development of new medicines and medical technologies by replacing traditional animal models with human-relevant approaches. Animal tests are often poor predictors of human outcomes, time-consuming, costly, and associated with animal suffering. OMBION therefore focuses on innovative, animal-free methods to make biomedical translation faster, more effective, and more ethical. The consortium is supported by the Dutch National Growth Fund. Within this multidisciplinary setting, you will have access to state-of-the-art facilities and techniques, including mass spectrometry, iPSC technology, advanced imaging, and RNA sequencing.

Dit neem je mee

You hold a university Master’s degree in Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences, Immunology, or a related life science, and you are strongly motivated to develop human, animal-free models for pain. You have proven experience in stem cell biology and advanced cell culture, ideally including work with human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and their differentiation into neuronal lineages. Experience with sensory neuron differentiation, co-culture systems, and/or 3D culture models is a strong advantage, as is a clear interest in modeling mechanisms of (chronic) pain.

You bring a solid background in molecular biology and are familiar with techniques such as cloning, (q)PCR, transfection or viral transduction, and the generation or use of reporter cell lines. Experience with implementing molecular reporters to monitor neuronal activation or signaling pathways is highly desirable. You are comfortable working with imaging-based readouts and data analysis; experience with calcium imaging, high-content imaging, electrophysiology, microfluidics, organ-on-chip systems, or optogenetics will be considered a plus.

You work accurately and independently at the bench, while also enjoying teamwork in a multidisciplinary and international environment. You communicate clearly in English, both orally and in writing, and are able to document your experiments in a structured, reproducible way. You are curious, proactive, and not afraid to tackle technically challenging problems or optimize new protocols. You are eager to integrate neurobiology, immunology, and technology to build and validate innovative pain NAMs based on iPSC-derived sensory neurons and reporter cell technologies, ultimately contributing to more predictive, human-relevant models for translational pain research.

Important to note: Are you interested in this position? Please send your CV and motivation, including the contact details of two referees, to us. Do you have any questions about the vacancy? Please contact us only by email, addressed to Niels Eijkelkamp (n.eijkelkamp@umcutrecht.nl). Please be aware that, due to the holiday period, our response time may be longer than usual.