Research Physician Cardiology – Selenium and Iron Project

Department description

• You are a member of an exceptional team with strong interaction between experimental, genetic, epidemiological and clinical research groups, all situated on the same floor. The Principal – Investigator (PI) is actively engaged, fostering interactions with team members and conducting weekly meetings.
• Our well-funded environment ensures that you will have unrestricted access to all resources necessary for the successful execution of your project.
• You will collaborate with various PhD students and postdocs dedicated to the same research topic, fostering a collaborative team dynamic.
  Our team maintains strong connections with the translational cardiology community in both Europe and the USA.
• Upon the successful completion of your PhD, candidates holding a Dutch MD license are eligible to participate in the selection process for the Cardiology Residency program at the UMCG.

Function Description

As a researcher you want to matter. You really want to make a difference in the lives of people with a cardiovascular condition. Now and in the future. That is why you consciously choose to work at the Department of Cardiology of the UMCG, a dynamic department where research and clinical practice are intertwined. We translate problems that we experience in clinical practice into scientific research. We improve patient care with the results of our scientific research. We believe that providing talent room to develop, a solution can ultimately be found for every cardiovascular condition. As a PhD student, UMCG Cardiology therefore offers you plenty of opportunities to follow your interests and give your talent space.

Job description

• Heart failure is a major health problem, causing severe symptoms and increased mortality. Essential micronutrient deficiencies are common in patients with heart failure, adding to the burden of disease. The most important of these are deficiencies in selenium (prevalence 25%) and iron (50-60%).
• Our team’s recent research has resulted in optimized methods to detect patients with these deficiencies (Grote Beverborg et al. JAMA Cardiology 2019 and Bomer et al. EJHF 2020) and to identify how these deficiencies affect the human cardiomyocyte. Although multiple treatment strategies are now available, further research is required to determine their effectiveness.
• For this project, the PhD candidate will conduct clinical and epidemiological investigations to explore the optimal treatment method. This includes examining factors such as the route of administration, specific compound selection, mechanism of action, and overall efficacy. Collaboration with a fellow PhD student focused on translational research will involve validating mechanisms of action in human cardiac tissues. The candidate should possess an interest in clinical cardiology and proficiency in data analysis. Responsibilities will encompass executing clinical studies, which involve patient inclusion, treatment administration, and follow-up, as well as conducting data analyses. Additionally, if interested, the PhD student can actively participate in translational projects aimed at uncovering the pathophysiology within the laboratory setting, particularly in 3D cardiac tissues. The results of the studies will be published in peer-reviewed Journals and will lead to an Academic dissertation (promotion).

Job requirements

• A master’s degree in medicine.
• Interest in cardiology.
• Able to express oneself in English in word and writing.

The UMCG has a preventive Hepatitis B policy. The UMCG can provide you with the vaccination, should it be required for your position.
In case of specific professions a ‘Certificate of Good Conduct’ is required.

A full-time appointment for one year (36 hours a week), with the possibility of extension for a maximum of four years. Your salary will be a minimum of € 3.359,- gross per month and a maximum of € 5.292,- gross per month (scale 10), depending on working experience, based on a full-time appointment. In addition, the UMCG will offer you 8% holiday pay, and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The conditions of employment comply with the Collective Labour Agreement for Medical Centres (CAO-UMC).

Please state in your CV the names and contact information of at least two references and add a short biosketch.

For questions about the position

Any questions? Do contact us.

Contact:
Dr. N. Grote Beverborg, n.grote.beverborg@umcg.nl
Dr. N. Bömer, n.bomer@umcg.nl
Prof. dr. P. van der Meer, p.van.der.meer@umcg.nl