Postdoc Vascular Biology

Project: Blood Vessel Integrity

Blood vessel formation and maintenance are essential for development and tissue health. Endothelial cells in the vessel wall are connected by molecular junctions that safeguard vascular integrity. Recent discoveries show that mechanical tension at these junctions can generate protective signals, enabling blood vessels to adapt to changes in blood pressure. In vascular diseases such as hypertension and arterial stiffening, these connections weaken, leading to increased vessel permeability and leakage. In this postdoctoral project, you will investigate how endothelial cells sense and respond to changes in mechanical forces. You will use bioengineering approaches such as optogenetic tools, substrate stretching/stiffening/flow platforms and 3D vessel‑on‑chip models to precisely control mechanical cues, identify key molecules that regulate endothelial adhesion, and visualize their functional roles using advanced microscopy and quantitative analysis.

• Position: Postdoctoral researcher
• Duration: 3 years
• Funding: ZonMW Vici grant (PI: Dr. Stephan Huveneers)

If you're passionate about vascular biology, mechanobiology and cutting‑edge bioengineering and imaging techniques, we encourage you to apply.

We offer a challenging and stimulating postdoctoral position for a motivated and creative researcher at Amsterdam UMC. You will play a central role at the interface of vascular biology and bioengineering.

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will:

• Design, execute and coordinate research on endothelial adhesion and mechanotransduction using optogenetic systems, dynamic substrates (stretching / stiffening / flow) and 3D vessel‑on‑chip platforms.
• Develop microengineered models that mimic physiological and pathological mechanical environments of blood vessels.
• Apply advanced live-cell and high‑resolution fluorescence microscopy to visualize molecular dynamics and signaling in real time.
• Collaborate closely with experts in vascular biology, bioengineering and imaging within Amsterdam UMC and external partners.
• Supervise and mentor PhD students and MSc/BSc students working on related projects.
• Analyze and interpret complex datasets, present your findings at (inter)national conferences, and publish in leading scientific journals.
• Contribute intellectually to new research lines and grant applications within the Vascular Integrity research group.

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic researcher with:

• You hold a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, (Bio)Medical Sciences, Life Sciences, Biophysics, Biochemistry, or a related field (or you are close to completion).
• You have a strong background in vascular bioengineering and/or mechanobiology.
• You have solid expertise in cell culture.
• You have experience with advanced microscopy (e.g. live‑cell imaging, confocal or super‑resolution) and quantitative image analysis (e.g. ImageJ/Fiji, Python, MATLAB, R)
• You are independent, well‑organized and proactive, and enjoy working in a multidisciplinary and international team.
• You have excellent communication skills in English.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a hypothesis-driven, quantitative mindset.