3 years We are looking for an enthousiastic PhD candidate to join our project ' Energy for Life: Coupling Magnesium and ATP’ In this project. We aim to elucidate the exact composition and function of the CNNM-TRPM7 magnesium channel complex. Moreover, the regulation of CNNM-TRPM7 by ATP and nutrient sensors AMPK and mTOR will be investigated. In the final part of the project, the metabolic consequences of CNNM-TRPM7 activity will be mapped. Will you join our team?

Cells require energy for their activity and growth. In order to respond to changes in nutrient availability, eukaryotic cells have strategies to rapidly change their metabolic activity and switch between energy sources. The control of these metabolic pathways is essential for cell survival. Deranged energy metabolism inevitably results in disease. For instance, altered cellular energy metabolism is a hallmark of cancer, facilitating maximal cell growth and proliferation.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the main energy source for cellular processes. For its stability and function, ATP requires binding to magnesium ions. Therefore, magnesium uptake of cells should be carefully balanced with ATP production. Upon activation of ATP production, magnesium influx is increased.
Magnesium uptake in cells is regulated by the concerted action of magnesium channels and transporters in the plasma membrane.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Apply state-of-the art microscopy to monitor the composition and the function of magnesium transport complexes.
• Map the metabolic adaptations of cells in response to magnesium and nutrient deficiencies using metabolomics and biochemical measurements.
• Work in a multidisciplinary team of scientists, clinicians and patients to improve the diagnostics and therapy of patients with Mg2+ wasting tubulopathies. It is an international research group with fellows from many countries.
• Design and perform scientific research in the area of cell biology, biochemistry and physiology.
• Generate and analyse the data in order to contribute to scientific publications and presents findings at scientific meetings.
• Perform research in a stimulating environment with your team.
• Complete the project with a scientific dissertation.

The salary depends on education. Scale 10 will be offered to MSc medical graduates; those holding degrees in other disciplines will be offered scale 10A.

Working at Radboud university medical center means that you are ahead of the curve and working together on the healthcare of the future. And there is more. Our secondary terms of employment are impressive. These are fully tailored to you thanks to our Employment Conditions Selection Model. At Radboud university medical center, you will be given trust, and you will take the responsibility to handle everything together. We provide annual courses, both professional and personal.

• A gross monthly salary between € 2.631 and € 3.336 (scale 10A) or between € 3.047 and € 4.800 (scale 10) based on full-time employment.
• An annual vacation allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
• If you work irregular hours, you will receive an allowance.
• As a full-time employee (36 hours per week), you are entitled to approximately 168 vacation hours (over 23 days) per year.
• Radboud university medical center pays 70% of the pension premium. You pay the rest of the premium with your gross salary.
• You get a discount on health insurance as well: you can take advantage of two group health insurance plans. UMC Zorgverzekering and CZ collectief.

In addition to our terms of employment, we also offer employees various other attractive facilities, such as childcare and sports facilities. Want to learn more? Take a look at the Cao UMC. The department of Physiology provides an international and stimulating working environment for its 50 employees and is an exciting place to perform basic research, translational and clinical medicine, and enjoy teaching. The department encompasses complementary research groups whose interests range from cardiovascular disease, molecular regulation of ion transport processes in the kidney to the study of metabolism in the body. Working collaboratively within the department, we use our expertise to investigate how molecules, cells, organisms and humans function and how we might modulate their physiology to ultimately improve health in the patient.

This project will be executed in the Kidney Physiology group and is part of the Renal Disorders Theme within the Radboudumc, a leading multidisciplinary graduate school within the domain of molecular mechanisms of disease and particularly in the fields of molecular medicine, cell biology and translational research.

Research Institutes
At the moment there are more than 1,300 PhD candidates at our medical hospital. This number includes PhD candidates on our pay roll as well as external candidates (those employed somewhere else but researching on our premises).

• Radboud Institute for Health Sciences: ± 700
• Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences: ± 400
• Donders Center for Medical Neurosciences: ± 200

Read what it is like to do a PhD at the Radboud University Medical Center.

Radboudumc
Radboud university medical center is a university medical center for patient care, scientific research, and education in Nijmegen. Radboud university medical center strives to be at the forefront of shaping the healthcare of the future. We do this in a person-centered and innovative way, and in close collaboration with our network. We want to have a significant impact on healthcare. We want to improve with each passing day, continuously working towards better healthcare, research, and education. And gaining a better understanding of how diseases arise and how we can prevent, treat, and cure them, day in and day out. This way, every patient always receives the best healthcare, now and in the future. Because that is why we do what we do.

Read more about our strategy and what working at Radboud university medical center means. Our colleagues would be happy to tell you about it. #weareradboudumc
You have the ambition to succeed in scientific research. Your working style is independent and well-structured. Furthermore you have:

• MSc in (Medical) Biology, Biomedical Sciences or Medicine.
• Well-developed social skills directed to work in a team.
• Experience with (bio)medical research and molecular level of thinking.
• Experience with bioinformatics (R or Python).

Any questions? Please contact obtained from Dr. Jeroen de Baaij, Associate Professor Physiology via +31 (0) 24 361 73 47. Use the Apply button to submit your application.