PhD position Vascular Immunometabolism

The project
In this PhD project, you will delve into the intricate relationship between endothelial cell metabolism and immunomodulation in the context of atherosclerosis. Your research will focus on understanding how alterations in endothelial cell metabolism are linked to their inflammatory phenotype and how these cells act as active immunomodulators in cardiovascular disease. You will explore the role of endothelial immune checkpoint proteins(ICPs) in regulating T-cell activation and macrophage function in atherosclerotic plaques. This innovative approach aims to uncover new insights into the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and identify potential therapeutic target.

About your role
As a PhD student, you will conduct cutting-edge research combining wet lab and dry lab techniques in equal measure.

In the wet lab: you will perform experiments using 3D organ-on-chip models, conduct Seahorse Flux analysis, and carry out immunoblotting and qPCR analysis. You will also work with animal models and prepare samples for metabolomics and RNA-sequencing.
In the dry lab: you will focus on bioinformatics and data analysis, with a strong emphasis on (single-cell) RNA-seq analysis.
Your main goal will be to uncover novel therapeutic targets by investigating the crosstalk between metabolism-driven inflammatory responses and immunomodulatory properties of endothelial cells. You will also collaborate with the Department of Vascular Medicine to validate our findings in a human cohorts.

About you

• You have a master’s degree in a field related to biomedical sciences, (medical) biology, biochemistry, or bioinformatics;
• You have experience in molecular biology, immunology and cardiovascular disease;
• You are willing to learn how to perform transcriptomic data analysis (bulk and single-cell data) and bioinformatics;
• You possess excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken;
• You are an enthusiastic team player with positive social skills;
  Experience with bioinformatics (e.g., in R/Python) is a plus;
• An art.9 or equivalent FELASA diploma is a plus.