Job ID: 85329

Postdoctoral Researcher in Risk Factors and Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease

Position: Post-doctoral Position

Deadline: 31 August 2022

Employment Start Date: 1 October 2022

Contract Length: 3 years

City: Amsterdam

Country: The Netherlands

Institution: University of Amsterdam

Department: Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain plasticity Group

Description:

Introduction
Do you enjoy performing work in vivo and in vitro with animal models, do epidemiology research, work on analyses of omic data (e.g. lipidomic, RNA sequencing) and work in a team in an international setting? Then the SOLID project on the risk factors and markers for early detection of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is perfect for you. SOLID is an international consortium involving partners from The Netherlands, Germany, France, Hungary, Canada and Australia.The project is JPND funded and is aimed at finding risk factors and markers for early detection of AD with a focus on early-life adversity, inflammation and lipid mediators. The Dutch part entails a collaborative effort between the University of Amsterdam and Amsterdam University Medical Center, location AMC.

We are looking for a highly qualified and motivated Postdoctoral researcher to perform the preclinical studies investigating the effects of early-life stress on progression of AD (using AD mouse models) and the underlying mechanisms (focusing on neuroinflammation and dietary fatty acids), as well as studying early biomarkers of AD risk in a human cohort exposed to undernutrition during pregnancy. Your research will mostly be done at the University of Amsterdam.

What are you going to do

You are expected to

  • plan and perform scientific data analysis and experiments in an independent manner;
  • critically analyze and interpret results;
  • co-supervise junior scientists (technicians, MSc/BSc students);
  • take a leading role in writing manuscripts;
  • present data at local, national and international scientific meetings;
  • communicate with the international partners and scientists working on the project.

REQUIREMENTS

  • a PhD degree in Biology, Neuroscience, Immunology or related disciplines;
  • knowledge in epidemiology and hands on experience with omic analyses and coding (e.g. python, R);
  • significant experience in performing animal experiments (e.g. breeding, genotyping, behavioral studies);
  • basic knowledge on classical neuroscientific methods (dissections, immunohistochemistry, western blot, PCR, in vitro assays, cell type sorting), Imaging (confocal microscopy, IMARIS) and PBMC;
  • interest in early life origins of disease and Alzheimer’s dementia;
  • interest in combining work on preclinical models and human data;
  • excellent project- and time management skills, enabling you to meet the projects’ deadlines for finishing analyses, reports and other deliverables;
  • excellent communication skills; next to working in an international setting you will regularly join and present at consortium meetings as well as at relevant (inter)national meetings;
  • fluency in English, both written and spoken.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

We offer you a temporary employment contract for 38 hours a week, for the duration of 12 months preferably starting on 1 October 2022. An extension of 24 months is possible upon a good evaluation.

Your salary, depending on your relevant work experience on commencement of the employment contract, ranges between €2,846 to €4,490 gross per month on the basis of a full working week of 38 hours. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8.3% year-end allowance. A favorable tax agreement, the 30% ruling, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU) is applicable.

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits like our excellent opportunities for study and development? More information can be found here.

EMPLOYER

Faculty of Science

The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest spectrum of degree programmes. It is an intellectual hub with 30,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 doctoral students who are all committed to a culture of inquiring minds and scientific excellence.

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) is one of the Faculty of Science’s largest institutes. Its approximately 240 scientists and staff members work in 16 research groups that perform excellent research centered on four themes: Neurosciences, Cell & Systems Biology, Microbiology and Green Life Sciences.

Do you want to know more about our organization? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact: