Do you want to uncover how pancreatic cancer stem cells and cancer neuroscience intersect to drive therapy resistance? Join this project at the Amsterdam UMC in collaboration with NKI.
You will investigate how pancreatic cancer stem cells adopt neural‑like features and how this “cancer neuroscience” axis contributes to therapy resistance and poor patient outcomes. Working at Amsterdam UMC, you will combine analysis of clinical tumor datasets with work in advanced patient‑derived experimental models to identify and functionally test the pathways that sustain these aggressive cell states.
This two-year project is embedded in a broader cancer stem cell programme in close collaboration with the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), where related mechanisms are studied in other tumour types. Together, these complementary lines of research aim to uncover shared vulnerabilities that can ultimately be translated into new therapeutic strategies.
You will join an interdisciplinary team of basic and clinician‑scientists, data analysts and laboratory researchers. Within this environment you will have room to shape the exact focus of your project, and contribute your own ideas to the further development of this research line.
The main goal of this position is to unravel how pancreatic cancer stem cells and neural‑like programs intersect to drive therapy resistance, and to identify vulnerabilities that can be targeted. You will work mainly at the bench with patient‑derived organoids and stem cell models, performing cell culture, differentiation protocols, perturbation experiments (genetic and pharmacological), molecular and imaging assays, and functional read‑outs of therapy response.
In parallel, you will use bioinformatic analyses of existing and newly generated datasets to guide your experimental design, interpret your findings in a broader context, and help nominate candidate targets.
You will collaborate closely with principal investigators and fellow researchers, discuss your results in team meetings, and help translate findings into new hypotheses and follow‑up experiments. There is room to shape the exact experimental and computational focus of your project within the broader research line and to introduce your own ideas and techniques.
The position is embedded in Amsterdam UMC's Laboratory for Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology located on the VUmc campus.
For the cancer neuroscience aspects of the work, you will collaborate with researchers at the Center for Neurogenomics & Cognitive Research at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. For stem cell biology, you will work with the partner team at the NKI (Messal lab).
Qualifications- a PhD degree in biomedical sciences, biology, (bio)chemistry or a related discipline;
- affinity with both oncology and neuroscience (or a strong interest in developing this);
- skills in basic wet‑lab and molecular biology techniques;
- experience in cell culture, preferably including organoids and stem cells;
- preferably experience in developmental biology, differentiation protocols;
- experience with bioinformatics and proficiency in R (or strong motivation to learn);
- a good command of English, both spoken and written;
- experience with publishing in high-impact journals.
- An ambitious researcher committed to driving their project forward
- Someone who works diligently and with high accuracy
- A team player who enjoys collaborating in an interdisciplinary environment
- A creative and independent thinker who takes initiative
- Plenty of room for your drive to shape tomorrow's healthcare.
- Working on large-scale and in-house research, with motivated colleagues from all over the world.
- You will be employed by Amsterdam UMC Research BV.
- You will receive a 24‑month postdoctoral research position contract.
- Classification in salary scale 10: € 3.598 to € 5.669 gross for full‑time employment (depending on experience). In addition to a good basic salary, we offer 8.3% end‑of‑year bonus. Calculate your net salary here. As of 1 July 2026, the salary will be increased by 3.5% in accordance with the collective labor agreement (CAO UMC).
- Holiday hours: 194.4 per year for full time and a possibility to save additional hours.
- Pension accrual with BeFrank, a modern, comprehensible and fairly priced pension.
- For >7 km each way, 100% reimbursement for public transport travel costs and, for private transport, €0.18 per km up to a maximum of 40 km each way.
- Do you prefer walking or cycling? Take advantage of our good bike scheme. Moreover, you will receive a reimbursement of €0.18 per km.
€3598 - €5669 monthly