PhD – Merit Project

Contribute to the MERIT project and investigate how viral infections affect lipid metabolism and virus-induced neurodegeneration. As a doctoral candidate MERIT Project at LUMC, you will work with advanced mass spectrometry techniques and focus on lipid biosynthetic pathways in neurons and glial cells. You will be part of an EU-funded MSCA training programme that brings together academic institutions and partners from across Europe.

Planned secondments and network-wide training opportunities allow you to further develop your scientific and professional skills.

At the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), MERIT is looking for a doctoral candidate to work on Work Packages 1 and 2. As DC11, you will investigate how viral infections affect lipid biosynthetic pathways and explore the therapeutic targeting of lipid metabolism for controlling virus-induced neurodegeneration.

Your objectives are:

• Understand how viral infections modulate lipid biosynthetic pathways in neurons and glial cells.
• Identify specific lipid classes, species and metabolites affected by viral infections.
• Investigate the therapeutic targeting of lipid metabolism for controlling virus-induced neurodegeneration.

You will be guided during your research project by dr. Elena Sanchez Lopez, dr. Nina Ogrinc and prof. dr. Martin Giera.

MERIT (MEtabolic Reprogramming in viral pathogenesis: from Infection to Therapeutic innovations) is an EU-funded MSCA training programme aimed at better understanding how viruses affect the human body. Coordinated by dr. Adithya Sridhar, Assistant Professor, and prof. dr. Dasja Pajkrt, Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, from the OrganoVIR Labs at Amsterdam UMC (location AMC), this project brings together seven academic institutions and 12 associated partners from across Europe.

Within MERIT, researchers will take a new, holistic approach that focuses on infections and host metabolism to unravel virus-induced metabolic reprogramming and its impact on human health. The project’s objective lies in understanding the complex interplay between viruses and host cells, focusing on metabolic reprogramming and the long-term consequences of infection. This will be achieved by combining three methodological pillars: human organoids, integrative and spatial omics, and advanced microscopy.

The Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics (CPM) at LUMC is the technological expertise center and innovation partner of the LUMC in the analysis of proteins, metabolites, lipids and glycan structures from biological materials such as cells and tissues. Mass spectrometry is the core technology within CPM and is complemented by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and advanced miniaturised separation techniques. You will join the Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Imaging groups.

About you An interest in working in a multidisciplinary research group is important for this position. You communicate clearly in English and enjoy working with researchers from different backgrounds and areas of expertise.

Furthermore, you have:

• A master's degree in analytical chemistry, biomedical sciences or related fields.
• Practical experience with mass spectrometry (LC-MS and/or MALDI-MS-based techniques).
• Preferably, experience with data processing and analysis.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (minimum C1/C2 CEFR level).

Our offer

• A contract with LUMC for 36 hours per week for four years.
• A gross monthly salary ranging from € 3,217 to € 4,077 (scale PRO, CAO UMC).
• A salary increase of 3.5% will take effect on 1 May 2027.
• Planned secondments at Amsterdam University Medical Center and Medical University Innsbruck.
• Training in safety and biosecurity aligned with international best practices. You will be trained in hazard…