PhD position: Blood vessels and dementia

The cerebral vascular bed does more than supply blood to the brain. It also maintains the blood-brain barrier and helps remove waste products through the so-called glymphatic system.

The glymphatic system consists of channels surrounding the blood vessels. Through these channels, substances move into and out of the brain. In various forms of dementia, disease processes affecting the cerebral vascular bed play an important role.

Reduced blood flow, leakage of the blood-brain barrier and the accumulation of harmful proteins often occur together. In this project, we test the hypothesis that leakage of the blood-brain barrier disrupts the glymphatic system. This may accelerate the aggregation of amyloid beta in and around blood vessels, a condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA).

Would you like to know more about the different phases within the PhD trajectory? You can read more about this on this page.

In this project, you will conduct preclinical studies using animal models, including a model for human CAA. You will investigate whether the blood-brain barrier is disrupted in this model and whether interventions targeting the blood-brain barrier influence the course of CAA.

You will use a range of techniques to study these processes, including:

• MRI;
• immunostaining;
• confocal microscopy;
• ex vivo assays on blood vessels.

We are looking for a graduate researcher with an interest in dementia, the cerebral vascular system and preclinical research. You have:

• a degree in Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience or Cardiovascular Sciences;
• an interest in preclinical research into neuroscience or the cardiovascular system;
• experience with MRI or other imaging techniques, which is an advantage;
• experience with preclinical research in neuroscience or the cardiovascular system, which is an advantage;
• Article 9 status, or at least eligibility to obtain Article 9 status.