PhD Position: Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration

30 Jan 2026
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Radboud University

Research Field

Neurosciences » Neurobiology

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Application Deadline

2 Mar 2026 - 22:59 (UTC)

Country

Netherlands

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Hours Per Week

38.0

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Driven by science and eager to advance neurobiological research? With a Master’s in Molecular (Neuro)biology, Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, Biochemistry, Genetics or a related field, you can play a key role as a PhD candidate studying neurodegenerative disease.
We are recruiting a PhD candidate to work on various mouse genetics projects. Your first project will involve investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the cell type specificity of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease caused by mutations in tRNA synthetases. This peripheral neuropathy is characterized by selective degeneration of peripheral motor and sensory neurons.
You will have the opportunity to integrate different techniques and analyze data sets to understand which unique properties of motor and sensory neurons make them more vulnerable to neurodegeneration. You will use viral gene transfer, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, next-generation sequencing, proteomics approaches, as well as immunohistochemistry, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), and confocal imaging. Furthermore, you will use state-of-the-art in vivo noncanonical amino acid tagging (NCAT) to evaluate protein synthesis.
In addition, you will be involved in other ongoing projects in the lab. For one of them, we are developing innovative therapeutic approaches for CMT, following up on our published work (e.g. Zuko et al, Science, 2021; Mora et al, Nucleic Acids Research, 2025). You will also have the opportunity to contribute to a new project studying the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in axonal degeneration.
You will closely collaborate with a senior postdoctoral researcher who will provide practical/experimental guidance. You will get some exposure to teaching (10%), and you will have the opportunity to collaborate with and supervise Bachelor and Master’s students.
Would you like to learn more about what it’s like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate .

Where to apply

Website

https://www.academictransfer.com/en/jobs/358092/phd-position-molecular-mechanis…

Requirements
Specific Requirements

• You are a highly motivated, passionate, critical and creative individual who wants to grow as a scientist.
• You are team-oriented, open to providing and receiving feedback, and keen to engage in scientific discussions.
• You either hold a Master's degree in Neuroscience, Molecular (Neuro)biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, Genetics, or a related field, or are close to obtaining one.
• Previous experience with mouse genetics and molecular biology is a plus.
• You have permission to work with mice (Article 9 – FELASA B).
• We are a dynamic international lab, so a good command of English is essential.

Additional Information
Benefits

• We will give you a temporary employment contract (1.0 FTE) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract).
• You will receive a starting salary of €3,059 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €3,881 in the fourth year (salary scale P ).
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20.

Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions . You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

Additional comments

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Erik Storkebaum. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application. We look forward to receiving your application.
The first interviews will take place on Tuesday 10 March. You will preferably start your employment on 1 June 2026 or later upon mutual agreement.
We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure . It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates.

Website for additional job details

https://www.academictransfer.com/358092/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Radboud Universiteit

Country

Netherlands

City

Nijmegen

Postal Code

6525XZ

Street

Houtlaan 4

Geofield

Contact

City

Nijmegen

Website

http://www.ru.nl/

Street

Houtlaan 4

Postal Code

6525 XZ

STATUS: EXPIRED

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