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PhD POSITION on BLOOD PROTEOMICS IN FONTAN PATIENTS

  • //applyindex.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/belgium.png Belgium
  • University/Institute Name KU Leuven
  • Attendance Type On Campus (Full Time)
  • Position Funding Type Research Assistantship (RA)
  • Application deadlineSeptember 25, 2025
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Position Details (PhD Research Project)

A position is available for a strongly motivated doctoral candidate in the division Molecular and Vascular Biology of the Cardiovascular Sciences department at KU Leuven Belgium. The main focus of the lab is on vascular biology with a focus on vascular remodelling both in physiolocal and pathological adaptation, with a focus on mechanotransduction.
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Project

The Fontan circulation is a lifesaving strategy for people born with a single functional ventricle. The Fontan circulation is created by a two-stage surgery where the venous return is connected directly to the pulmonary circulation. The heart acts as a single chambered heart to produce the systemic and pulmonary circulation. As a consequence blood flow in the lungs is steady rather than pulsatile creating a unique hemodynamic environment.  People with a Fontan circulation can live up to 40 or 50 years however they live with increased pulmonary vascular resistance and are prone to various forms of vascular shunting.
In this project the student will perform proteomics analysis of patient blood to identify circulating factors that are present in Fontan patients with abnormal vascular physiology.  The project will involve significant bioinformatics including patient clustering by high dimensionality reduction as well as analysis of blood proteomic data.  We are looking for a student with experience in bioinformatics and relevant statistical methods using R or Python languages. Some knowledge of common molecular biology techniques is beneficial but not essential alongside a strong interest in either cardiovascular physiology or biomechanics.
Responsibilities
• You will perform unbiased clustering of the Fontan patient database to identify patients that cluster based on their vascular malformations.
• You will analyse proteomics from the blood of patients analysed with the somascan platform.
• You will analyse levels of identified proteins in a larger patient population as well as an animal model of the Fontan circulation.
• You will use in vitro techniques and immunohistochemsitry on an animal model of the Fontan circulation to understand the mechanism by which this protein is produced and why it leads to the vascular complications.
• You will be expected to present the work at conferences lab meetings and departmental meetings. 

Profile

​​• The candidate must have a master’s in a relevant discipline.
• Candidates must have experience in bioinformatics. Experience in vascular biology and/or mechanotransduction is a benefit.
• Strong interest in pursuing a career in research.
• The candidate must be a highly motivated, enthusiastic and efficient researcher.

• Good communication skills in English.

Offer

The position is to complete a 4-year PhD program.  Your initial appointment will be for 2 years that will be extended for 2 additional years, provided satisfactory progression in the PhD program. Your salary is set by university regulations for PhD salaries

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. Elizabeth Jones, mail: [email protected]. Applications should be uploaded through the KU Leuven HR portal.

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.

Research Areas & Fields of Study involved in the position

Position Start Date

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