Postdoc Translational palliative care

Palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life of patients with a life-threatening disease, such as metastatic cancer, and of their loved ones. Improving the approach, treatment and prevention of symptoms requires a greater understanding of mechanisms that lead to symptoms. It is largely unknown which biomedical factors determine susceptibility to symptoms, such as delirium, for example. Knowledge of these factors can improve treatment and prevention of symptoms. Marking the start of the final phase of the palliative trajectory, the dying phase, can help improve care for patients and their loved ones. This demarcation leads to a change in the focus of care, thereby creating space and time for saying goodbye. Because this demarcation has proven difficult in practice, more knowledge about the dying process can improve marking and is part of this translational research project.

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

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will contribute to the further development of the research line focused on biomedical factors that influence sensitivity to symptom development and may serve as markers of the dying process. To achieve this, a liquid biopsy bank has been established in collaboration with the Liquid Biopsy Center of Cancer Center Amsterdam and the PREZO quality mark hospices within the Consortium Palliative Care in Noord-Holland and Flevoland. Additionally, partnerships have been initiated with key research departments at Amsterdam UMC, including the OncoProteomics Laboratory and the Cancer Pharmacology Laboratory of Cancer Center Amsterdam and the Neurology Laboratory Clinical Chemistry. International collaborations have also been forged with laboratories in Liverpool and Edinburgh. Together with these collaborations, you are expected to secure funding to support translational research projects in palliative care.

In concrete terms, this means that you:

• Maintain contacts with the hospices and coordinate collection of blood and urine samples;
• Establish and maintain contacts with relevant research departments within and outside Amsterdam UMC and Cancer Center Amsterdam;
• Set up at least two translational research projects and initiate and coordinate fundraising for this;
• Report findings arising from literature research and own research in scientific articles and present these at various meetings and conferences;
• Supervise students;
• Take courses to increase your (research / analysis / personal) skills.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and ambitious researcher with proven scientific experience in translational research. You are motivated to advance scientific research in the field of palliative care, both theoretically and empirically. You have excellent social and communication skills and you work well in a team.

You are also in possession of the following qualities and requirements:

• A completed PhD in the field of (bio)medical sciences, medical biology or a comparable education;
• Experience with translational research;
• Able to work efficiently and independently;
• Good skills in organizing, planning, coordinating;
• Good verbal and written communication skills in English;
• Affinity with palliative care;
• -Experience in acquiring grants is recommended.