CARTHAGO programme: 15 PhD positions (Marie Curie Innovative Training Network)

CARTHAGO programme: Cartilaginous tissue regeneration by gene therapy; taking the hurdles towards efficient delivery (the EC funded Horizon 2020 Marie Curie Innovative Training Network (ITN) project) is an international PhD programme on non-viral gene therapy in regenerative medicine for osteoarthritis and intervertebral disc degeneration coordinated by the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU).

About the project:

• CARTHAGO is offering 15 PhD positions with different partners in Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Denmark, UK, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, and Poland.
• The overall goal is to address the applicability of gene therapy in osteoarthritis and intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration from all perspectives, including optimisation of cell delivery, gene expression and tissue penetration.
• There will be two calls to hire for open positions; the first call opens in fall of 2020, with starting dates in fall 2020 and winter 2020/2021. The second call opens winter 2021, with starting dates in spring and summer of 2021.

Requirements:

• Applications are open to excellent, talented, enthusiastic, highly motivated and goal-oriented Early Stage Researchers (ESRs).
• Candidate must demonstrate interest in regenerative medicine and gene therapy, highly motivated to perform research in a multidisciplinary international working environment, and committed to a PhD track.
• Candidates did not reside or carry out their main activity (e.g. work, studies) in the host country for more than 12 months during the 3 years immediately prior to the start of their Carthago appointment (time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention, compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account).
• Candidates are in the first 4 years of their research careers at the start of their Carthago appointment (full-time equivalent research experience, measured from the date when a researcher obtained the degree entitling him or her to embark on a doctorate) and have not been awarded a doctoral degree
• Excellent proficiency of the English language (both oral and written),
• The ability to work in a multidisciplinary team. Excellent communication skills and cooperation skills are required,

Open positions in call 1:

1. ESR1: Oligo and plasmid modification (Uppsala University, Sweden)
2. ESR2: Hydrogels and NIR probes (Uppsala University, Sweden)
3. ESR3: Optimization of 20Med Nanogel carriers for intra-articular/-discal delivery (20MED, Netherlands)
4. ESR4: Design of dendrimer-based vectors for nucleic acid delivery to cartilaginous tissues of the joint and IVD (INEB, Portugal)
5. ESR5: Optimisation of particle and hydrogel preparation and performance (UMCF, Romania)
6. ESR6: Albumin-mediated delivery (University of Aarhus, Denmark) (filled)
7. ESR7: Design and labellng of nucleic acid-binding albumin (Albumedix, UK) (through University of Aarhus website)
8. ESR8: Ultrasound for enhanced tissue delivery (Aalto University, Finland)
9. ESR15: Ethics parallel research framework in biomedical treatment development (UJ, Poland)

Open positions in call 2:

1. ESR9: Delivery and chondrogenic/anti-inflammatory effects of nucleic acids in human tissue culture (UMC Utrecht, Netherlands)
2. ESR10: Imaging regeneration in OA and IVDD (JenaCell, Germany)
3. ESR11: Delivery and effectivity of nucleic acids in small animal OA (Percuros, Netherlands)
4. ESR12: Delivery and effectivity of nucleic acids in small animals (Percuros, Netherlands)
5. ESR13: Delivery and chondrogenic/anti-inflammatory effects of nucleic acids in bioreactor models of IVD degeneration (AO Research Institute, Switzerland)
6. ESR14: Delivery and chondrogenic/anti-inflammatory effects of nucleic acids in cartilage disease models under complex multiaxial load (AO Research Institute, Switzerland)

Applications:

• Apply online and complete the application including one pdf with an evidence-based CV, and written motivation for the selected position.
• Candidates can apply to max two positions.