Postdoctoral Researcher in Tumor-Microbiome Research / Zeller group

About your role

As a Postdoctoral Researcher at LUMC's Microbiome Systems Biology group, your primary responsibility will be to computationally analyze multi-modal spatial data to map the complex interplay between microbes and host cells in tumor tissues. You will become the key spatial data analyst in the group driving both the conceptual advancement of new microbiome imaging technologies as well as the investigation of the resulting data to gain new insights into microbe-host crosstalk in healthy and diseased tissue. Collaborating with leading experts in microbiome research, spatial technologies, computational modeling of signaling networks and mucosal immunology across Europe, you will contribute to groundbreaking studies in tumor microbiome crosstalk. Your top-3 tasks are:

• Contribute to the design of novel multiplex FISH technologies by designing barcoding schemes, probes and decoding approaches.
• Develop and apply computational tools for bioimage analysis, including image registration, cell segmentation, and the delineation of molecular niches in tumor tissues.
• Integrate and analyze data from diverse spatial and bulk omics platforms, which together capture rich molecular information of both the microbiome and the host, to delineate microbe-host cross-talk of relevance for tumorigenesis and inflammation.

In this role, you will be part of an interdisciplinary and international team, working on cutting-edge research with the potential to transform our understanding of tumor ecosystems.

About your workplace

The LUMC, situated in Leiden, the Netherlands, is an academic medical center for patient care, research and education, aiming to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s health care. It has a strong focus on research, connecting and combining fundamental research into disease mechanisms.

You will join the newly formed LUCID department where researchers from microbiology, parasitology, immunology and infectious disease work together across disciplines on both fundamental and translational projects. You will work in the Microbiome Systems Biology group, headed by Georg Zeller, which studies microbiome-host interactions of relevance for human health and disease. The group combines sequencing and imaging approaches with computational and statistical analysis techniques to study the composition, function and spatial organisation of the human microbiome. This is aimed at gaining a more quantitative understanding of how the microbiome interacts with external factors such as diet or medication, how microbes contribute to disease processes, such as carcinogenesis, and how microbiome modulation can be harnessed to restore human health and improve medical treatments.

About you

You are a curious and creative researcher who thrives on solving complex problems and taking ownership of challenging projects. You strive for impactful results and are excited to explore new frontiers in microbiome and cancer research. Working in an international and diverse team energizes you, and you value collaboration as much as independent work. You have a strong interest in high-throughput approaches and quantitative biology, and your passion for innovative methods drives you to push the boundaries of your field. Furthermore, you have:

• A PhD in a biomedical discipline, ideally in computational biology or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in bioimage and spatial data analysis, with strong programming skills in Python.
• Expertise in developing computational tools for image registration, cell segmentation, and the design/decoding of fluorescence barcodes.
• Preferably a solid understanding of, and practical experience with, statistical and machine learning methods, and/or analyzing other omics data types (ideally metagenomics or transcriptomics).
• Potentially also experience integrating and analyzing novel spatial data modalities to gain insights into molecular host-microbe interactions.

Our offer

Driven by health; that's our mission. This applies not only to our patients but also to our employees. With Future@Work, we guarantee a pleasant working environment and provide room for development. In order to be able to continue to learn and develop, we offer internal and external training. You are also entitled to an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), holiday allowance, sports budget, bicycle scheme and reimbursement for commuting expenses. Furthermore, as an employee of LUMC, you are also affiliated with the ABP pension fund. This means that 70% of your pension premium is paid by LUMC, leaving you with a higher net salary. Nice, right?

See all employment conditions of the LUMC.

What do we represent?

As an academic medical center, LUMC strives to have a workforce that is a good reflection of society. We are committed to the highest quality in health care, education and (international) research, in which diverse perspectives are essential. Sustainability is also a high priority for us: we are committed to a healthy future, not only for people, but also for the planet. In line with these values, we aim to be a creative and inspiring place to work, where everyone feels at home, safe and valued. It's all about who you are and what you bring to contribute, regardless of your background. Together, we work toward a sustainable and inclusive future, both for the people around us and for the world we live in. Together, we are LUMC.

More information

• As a postdoctoral researcher, your salary will be between €3,493 and €5,504 gross per month (scale 10, CAO UMC). These figures are based on a full-time position.
• The procedure involves several stages, including virtual and on-site interviews. Detailed information about the next steps in the application process will follow soon.
• Applications from employment/recruitment agencies will not be considered.