PhD : Reporter assay- innovations osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis - B

Welcome to Maastricht University! Are you passionate about transforming biomedical research and making an impact on musculoskeletal research? Do you want to play a key role in advancing human-based alternatives to animal models in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis research? Do you like to develop and validate new assays?

PhD candidate:
Reporter assay–based innovations for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

• Our goal
  :
  At the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Maastricht University, we are driven by one mission: to improve mobility and quality of life through innovative clinical care, research, and education.
• Your colleagues
  :
  The Molecular Cartilage Biology research group (Lead: Prof. Dr. Tim Welting) at the Laboratory for Experimental Orthopedics pushes boundaries in disease modeling, biomolecular therapies, and patient‑specific diagnostics for osteoarthritis.

Why This Project Matters
Osteoarthritis is one of the most prevalent and disabling chronic conditions worldwide. No effective drug treatments currently exist due to the poor predictive power of small animal models.
Ombion ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).) – a national initiative funded by the Nationaal Groeifonds (NGF) – is focused on replacing animal testing with innovative, human‑based cell culture models that better predict therapy responsiveness. This Ombion project brings together top‑tier academic institutions (Maastricht University, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Utrecht University, UMC Utrecht) and industry partners to revolutionize preclinical research in musculoskeletal disease.

Within Ombion our Osteoarthritis/Rheumatoid Arthritis Transition Project
, led by Prof. Dr. Tim Welting
, aims to develop validated human‑based in vitro cell culture models in 2D and 3D (on chip technologies). These culture models will be developed in a manner that makes them compatible with different levels of musculoskeletal biomedical research: from high‑throughput assays instrumental for drug discovery programs to advanced organoid‑like models for disease modelling. This PhD student vacancy specifically relates to the work package, led by Dr.

Guus van den Akker
, in which high‑throughput reporter assays will be developed to study relevant processes in joint tissues (cartilage, synovium, etc.).

Previously we developed reporter element and promoter reporter gene assays (PMID: , ). These assays provide rapid cell biological information that we used to predict cartilage repair in vitro (PMID: ) or discriminate different types of arthritis (PMID: ). Within the Ombion project, the PhD student will critically contribute to innovations in reporter assays and implement them to a multitude of joint cell types (chondrocytes, synoviocytes, immune cells and neurons).

Genetic engineering using CRISPR/Cas9 will be used for endogenous tagging of relevant proteins (PMID: ). We will use these reporters that reveal basic molecular processes that drive osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and will be used by other Ombion members. This will pave the way for equipping new approach methodologies (NAMs) with state‑of‑the‑art biomolecular readout to advance the field of drug discovery, validation and differential diagnostics for the arthritis field.

What you do

We are looking for a driven and organized PhD student (work package
1) with a background in biomedical or life sciences. You will play a crucial role in this ambitious project, helping to shift the paradigm in translational orthopedic research.

Key responsibilities:

• Designing and conducting laboratory experiments.
• Analyzing experimental data generated in the lab & published datasets.
• Co‑authoring academic publications with the supervisory team.
• Presenting your work at (international) conferences and workshops.
• Collaborating closely with Ombion project members.
• Contributing to teaching activities such as tutoring or supervising internship students.

What we offer
At Maastricht University, you’ll work in an international, open, and engaged environment. We offer:

• A dynamic and collaborative research environment
• The opportunity to drive impactful, real‑world biomedical innovation
• Involvement in a nationally recognized,…