PhD immunology and metabolism

Within the departments of Molecular cell biology & Immunology, and Pathology of Amsterdam UMC (location VUmc), three positions are available for PhD students to perform research in the recently awarded NWA-ORC project “Decoding immune-metabolic homeostasis to better understand chronic diseases (META-IMMUNOTYPES)”.

Metabolic syndrome is a major health problem, affecting up to 40% of the population. This condition not only poses significant health risks on its own, but also increases the likelihood of developing other chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancer.

The META-IMMUNOTYPES consortium focuses on understanding the complex interactions between the immune system and metabolism in metabolic syndrome and its related conditions. By identifying early warning signals, such as hidden inflammation, through simple blood tests and advanced technology, the project aims to shift the focus from treatment to prevention, enabling lifestyle interventions before symptoms arise.

You will work with a large team of clinicians and translational researchers setting up a workflow for the biobanking of materials collected from a cohort of individuals undergoing a lifestyle intervention. In addition to this general task, there will be three subprojects that will be your main responsibility. When writing your motivation letter, indicate which subproject you have a preference for and why:

• Subproject 1 (led by Dr. Juan J. García Vallejo): You will collaborate with a team of experts in setting up comprehensive multi-layered immune monitoring strategies spanning over 70-marker panels and time-lapse flow cytometry. You will work together with a postdoc on creating novel data models and identifying interesting biomarker leads for the development of next-generation miniaturized assays for screening purposes.
• Subproject 2 (led by Dr. Rubina Baglio): Within our group, you will investigate how lifestyle and biological diversity influence immune-metabolic status and contribute to the development of metabolic diseases. You will develop and apply a cutting-edge, highly multiplexed immune-metabolic profiling methodology and functional assays to unravel these complex interactions. In addition, you will explore how circulating factors, including extracellular vesicles, reprogram immune cell metabolism and function, with the goal of identifying strategies to counteract their detrimental effects and inform future therapeutic interventions.
• Subproject 3 (led by Dr. Jan van den Bossche): Within IMMUNOMETLAB, you will perform pioneering immunometabolism research to advance our understanding on how changes in metabolic activity translate into altered immune functions and set the balance between health and disease. You will develop new assays, including time-lapse cytometry combined with single-cell metabolic and functional readouts, to determine the interplay between immune cell profiles to metabolic activity and disease. 

• a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in biomedical sciences, molecular biology, medicine or a related field (applicants in the final stage of their degree are welcome to apply);
• a strong background in immunological and/or immune-metabolic research with a translational aim;
• experience with (spectral) flow cytometry, and strong interest in high-dimensional data analysis and biostatistics;
• you can work independently and thrive in a multidisciplinary academic environment;
• you communicate fluently in English, both verbally and in writing.