PhD innate immune mechanisms (English)

In deze PhD-positie bij RIVM onderzoek je aangeboren immuunmechanismen die bijdragen aan duurzame, beschermende geheugenresponsen na vaccinatie, met directe relevantie voor de volksgezondheid.

Dit ga je doen

Are you fascinated by the role of innate immune cells in establishing durable, protective memory immune responses against pathogens? In this PhD position, you will apply advanced multi-omics and various other techniques to unravel the state and response of innate immune cells before and after immunization. You will be working in a stimulating environment, surrounded by kind and knowledgeable colleagues, and conducting research with direct implications for public health.

The research project

Vaccines are the most effective tool available to prevent and control infectious diseases. When we are exposed to pathogens or vaccine components, the cells of the innate immune system are the first to interact and respond. These innate cells then instruct the adaptive T and B cells to mount a specific response that, together with innate cells, can effectively clear an ongoing infection and provide long-term protection through immune memory. However, these induced immune memory responses can vary significantly between individuals. While certain innate immune signatures have been associated with the development of strong antibody responses after vaccination, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain elusive.

As a PhD candidate in this project, you will investigate the key factors within the innate immune system that influence the development and effectiveness of specific T and B cell memory after vaccination. Using ex vivo samples from healthy donors and vaccination studies, as well as in vitro models and innovative tools, you will bridge the gap between innate and adaptive immunity. You will be responsible for analyzing and interpreting complex immunological datasets in search of (surrogate) correlates of protection. The insights you will gain is essential for understanding why some individuals develop stronger protective immune responses than others and may help to improve future vaccination strategies.

Throughout your PhD, you will collaborate closely with national and international partners, present your findings at scientific conferences, and contribute to high-impact publications. Additionally, you will participate in a graduate school curriculum to further develop your scientific and professional skills.

About the Center for Immunology of Infectious Diseases and Vaccines

The Center for Immunology of Infectious Diseases and Vaccines at RIVM is the knowledge center of the Dutch government in the field of immunology of infectious diseases and vaccines. The core mission of the center is to provide information and advice about effectiveness of vaccines, vaccination strategies and immune responses against infectious diseases to parties within the government and to the general public. In support of this task, research performed at the center is focused on optimization of the effectiveness of current and future vaccination programs, immunosurveillance, age-related efficacy of the immune responses and correlates of protection. In this work the center collaborates intensively with other RIVM knowledge centers and national and international collaborators specialized in immunology, microbiology, epidemiology, and outbreak control of infectious diseases.

Within the center, the department for Immune Mechanisms – Correlate of Protection, aims to gain insight into the immune mechanisms that protect us against disease caused by human pathogens. The research is focused on characterizing cellular immune responses in detail, both the innate arm, as well as the adaptive arm. In various research projects we aim to obtain biomarkers or immune profiles that correlate to protection against disease.

Dit bieden we

Naast het salaris ontvang je een Individueel Keuzebudget (IKB). Het IKB bestaat uit geld (16,50% van je bruto jaarsalaris) en tijd. Met het IKB maak jij de keuzes die bij jou passen en kun je een deel van je arbeidsvoorwaarden zelf samenstellen. Je kunt er bijvoorbeeld voor kiezen om een deel van je maandinkomen te laten uitbetalen wanneer jij dat wenst. Ook kun je dit budget omzetten in verlof en andersom of besteden aan fiscaal vriendelijke doelen. De Rijksoverheid hecht sterk aan persoonlijke groei en loopbaanontwikkeling en biedt daarvoor tal van mogelijkheden. Tot de secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden behoren onder meer verschillende studiefaciliteiten, bedrijfsfitness, volledige vergoeding van je OV-reiskosten woon-werkverkeer en gedeeltelijk betaald ouderschapsverlof.

Your qualifications

We are looking for a candidate with the following qualifications:

• You have a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, Immunology, Life Sciences, or a related field and have a strong interest in (innate) immunology and its relevance for public health and infectious diseases;
• You have a hands-on experience with laboratory techniques such as primary (myeloid) cell isolation methods, cell culture, flow cytometry, molecular techniques and cell-sorting methods;
• Experience with single-cell technologies is considered an advantage;
• You are familiar with or interested in learning data analysis tools such as R;
• You possess good analytical and problem-solving skills, and you are eager to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team;
• Excellent communication skills in English both written and spoken.

For this position, vaccinations are mandatory as you will be working with or work in laboratories where experiments with pathogens are being performed.