Research Scientist in Photopharmacology

Do you wish to join an exciting multidisciplinary research project in photopharmacology and make a transformative difference in healthcare? Then, join the team of Prof. dr. ir. Charalampos Tsoumpas, Dr. Peter Dendooven and Prof. Wiktor Szymanski, who are members of a recently awarded research program led by the Health Technology Research and Innovation Cluster to work together on resolving major challenges in healthcare.

What will you do

You will play a key role in executing a highly innovative research activity in the field of photopharmacology and contribute significantly to the supervision of several bachelor and master students.

You will work on the development of novel approaches to translate, improve efficiency, and optimise photopharmacology by using external radiation, such as X-rays, and nanoscintillators.

Your work is expected to lead to conference presentations, peer-reviewed journal articles, open-source software, international patent applications, and eventually clinical products. Furthermore, you will receive mentorship and support to attract research funding and build your own research team on this topic.

Where will you work

The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) is one of the largest and most innovative academic hospitals in the Netherlands. In addition to providing clinical care, it is a constituent member of the University of Groningen (RUG) with a strong focus on research, training, and education. Your position will be at the Department of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging, and you will also collaborate closely with the Department of Radiation Oncology of UMCG and the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP/RUG).

You will have access to high-performance computing platforms of UMCG and RUG and the unique facilities of the Particle Therapy Research Center located at the Zernike campus. Furthermore, you will collaborate with members of the Crystal Clear Collaboration, a long-standing collaboration founded and led by CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research.

What do we need

You should be a creative and passionate researcher with a PhD degree in Physics, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, or a similar field, preferably with up to two years of postdoctoral experience. Relevant research experience will be an asset.

Excellent communication skills in English and an innovative mindset are essential. Excellent knowledge of Monte Carlo simulations using Geant4 is a major advantage, and strong programming skills for efficient data processing, such as Python or Matlab, will be very useful. Ability to perform experiments will be considered a plus.

What do we offer

We offer one research position to join an enthusiastic team of experts. The full-time contract will be for three years, with a starting date preferably on 1 September, but no later than 1 January 2027.

In addition, the UMCG offers an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus. The conditions of employment comply with the Collective Labour Agreement for Medical Centres (CAO-UMC). An appropriate individual career development program will be available, as well as a €30k bench fee for materials and travel expenses.