PhD Student – Immune System Sparing Radiotherapy for Rectal Cancer

The department of Radiotherapy at the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek has a leading role in the development and implementation of advanced radiotherapy.

Recent insights show that the interaction between radiotherapy and the immune system goes two ways. Radiotherapy can stimulate an effective anti-tumor immune response, while on the other hand it can also cause significant damage to the immune system due to radiation-induced lymphopenia. In this PhD project, you will explore how to minimize negative effects and enhance positive immune interactions, aiming for a new treatment paradigm: immune system sparing radiotherapy.

Your research will focus on patients with rectal cancer and will involve four main lines of investigation:

• Understanding dose–effect relationships for immune suppression: analyzing blood, biopsy, imaging, and trial data to develop predictive models for radiation-induced lymphopenia.

• Optimizing radiotherapy efficiency and accuracy: utilizing state-of-the-art MR guided, online adaptive radiotherapy in combination with AI based target segmentation

• Designing immune system–sparing strategies: developing novel treatment planning strategies which minimize the damage to the immune system.

• Clinical implementation and Prospective evaluation: The strategies developed will be clinically introduced and evaluated within clinical pilot studies.

You will work in a multidisciplinary environment, closely collaborating with radiation oncologists, medical physicists, biologists, imaging experts, and data scientists. The project combines cutting-edge clinical data, advanced modelling and state-of-the-art imaging and treatment techniques to move towards personalized, immune system sparing radiotherapy.

Why Antoni van Leeuwenhoek?

At the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, we have a shared goal: providing the best care for every patient and every type of cancer. Quite a lot, but not impossible. Here, science and health care join forces towards innovation. We keep finding new ways to help people facing cancer on a global scale. Here we save lives, gain time and quality.

We are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate with a strong scientific interest in oncology, radiotherapy, and immunology, and an eagerness to bridge technical research with clinical application. Successful candidates typically bring a combination of the following:

• A Master’s degree in (bio)medical sciences, technical medicine, physics, biomedical engineering, computer science, or a related field;

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to handle complex datasets;

• Experience or strong interest in:

  • Radiotherapy and imaging techniques

  • Immunology

  • Data science, quantitative modeling, or machine learning

• Ability to combine insights from biology, clinical practice and physical modelling;

• Curiosity, creativity, and the ambition to develop independent research skills;

• Good communication and teamwork skills in a multidisciplinary environment’;

• Excellent command of English; Dutch language skills are an advantage but not required.

• A well-balanced mix of analytical strength, creative thinking, and a pragmatic mindset.

Your development opportunities and employment conditions

The basis for your employment conditions is in accordance with the CLA Hospitals. You will receive from us:

• A temporary contract for a period of four years, for 36 hours per week;

• A gross monthly salary between € 3.665,- and € 4.450,-, based on a 36-hour working week, in line with the OIO scale and depending on your experience;

• 144 holiday hours and 57 hours of Personal Life Budget, with full-time employment;

• Annual holiday pay of 8.33% and a fixed end-of-year bonus of 8.33%;

• A travel allowance of €0.23 per km;

• Free parking at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. And with our bicycle plan and discount on public transport we also make it attractive for you to leave the car at home;

• A great opportunity in a specialised hospital where you can also continue to learn and grow yourself if you wish: the AVL Academy offers innovative and inspiring education in the field of oncology professional knowledge, skills and personal development;

• Opportunity to exercise during working hours at our Fit Boutiqs;

• An active staff association.

In addition to these employment conditions, we offer:

• A challenging and ambitious PhD project at the intersection of radiotherapy, immunology, and data science.

• A unique opportunity to work with some of the most advanced technologies in medicine, including MR-guided radiotherapy and the clinical application of AI.

• Supervision and mentorship by leading experts in the field.

• A stimulating, collaborative, and international research environment at one of Europe’s top cancer centers.

Interested?

Apply now by using the application (‘Solliciteer’) button at the top of the page. Applications sent directly by e-mail will not be processed. Please attach your motivation letter (maximum one page), CV and contact details of two references to the application form. Make sure to include your reference information together with your application documents, as there is no option to submit them separately.

For further information about the position, please contact Tomas Janssen, t.janssen@nki.nl.

This vacancy is a 4-year project completed with a PhD, starting as soon as possible, and open for applications until the 10th of October. Some candidates may be invited for an interview before the closing date.