Postdoc Development of production methods for Terbium radionuclides

Postdoc-position ’Development of innovative production methods for Terbium radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals’University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and Particle Therapy Research Center (Partrec).Are you passionate about healthcare, technology, innovation, physics and radiochemistry? Are you looking for a challenging role where you can apply your expertise to help improve patient care? Then this is your opportunity! For a collaborative project with Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Particle Therapy Research Center (Partrec) and SHINE Europe BV, we are looking for a motivated and innovative postdoc who wants to contribute to healthcare innovation.

Are you excited about developing and implementing new radionuclide and radiopharmaceutical production methods? Then we warmly welcome you to apply and hopefully join our team of dedicated professionals!

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan reflects a strong commitment to advancing cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Nuclear medicine, which combines biomolecules with radioisotopes, has long played an important role in cancer care. Recent advances have led to theranostics, a new generation of radiopharmaceuticals that combine diagnostic and therapeutic functions in a single agent.

By enabling personalized treatment strategies, theranostics have the potential to improve outcomes and quality of care for cancer patients.

Among the most promising theranostic agents are radioisotopes from the terbium family. Research indicates that terbium isotopes could become highly effective tools for both cancer imaging and targeted therapy. However, their development is constrained by limited access to essential enriched starting materials and the complex technologies required to separate and process the isotopes. This dependency creates a vulnerable and unsustainable supply chain, slowing innovation in nuclear medicine and limiting patient access to new therapies.

The Terbium for Life project (collaboration between SHINE Europe and UMCG) will strengthen the resilience of the Dutch and European pharmaceutical sectors by establishing a secure, independent supply chain for terbium-based cancer theranostics.

• design and execute productions for Terbium isotopes;
• develop purification methods for produced Terbium isotopes and explore radio labelling methods;
• involvement in design of a new radio metal laboratory;
• publishing results in leading international journals and presenting at international conferences;
• supervising MSc and PhD students involved in the project;
• contributing to national and international research collaborations and future grant applications.

• PhD in radiochemistry, nuclear chemistry or nuclear physics
• Excellent oral and written command of English.
• Excellent communication skills, especially for interdisciplinary collaborations
• Capable of proactive, self-motivated, and comfortable working in a multidisciplinary research environment.
• Affinity with and interest in imaging and the required chemical techniques in this project is regarded as a preference.