TOP-GUT: Call for Applications: TOP-GUT invites applications for 11 fully funded Doctoral (PhD) training positions within an interdisciplinary and intersectoral training network. This program focuses on developing innovative preclinical models to advance personalized medicine. Successful candidates will be part of an international consortium, working on cutting-edge research projects aimed at revolutionizing gastrointestinal (GI) models.
Summary Table:
| Deadline | 30th November 2023 |
|---|---|
| Download Information | Full Information and Project Details |
| Offer Description | Interdisciplinary and Intersectoral Training Network |
| Eligible Positions | 11 Doctoral Candidates (PhD) |
| Training Focus | Innovative Preclinical Models for Advancing Personalized Medicine |
Study Area: The scholarship falls within the interdisciplinary field of innovative preclinical models, with a specific focus on gastrointestinal (GI) models.
Scholarship Description:
TOP-GUT: Call for Applications for 11 Doctoral (PhD) Training Positions in Innovative Preclinical Models for Advancing Personalized Medicine
TOP-GUT aims to equip 11 doctoral candidates with skills in developing human organ models, advancing organ-on-chip technology, enhancing tools and protocols for complex GI models, and creating models for personalized medicine using patient-derived organoids. The program includes training in ethical, regulatory, and legal aspects, as well as innovation management related to the implementation of GI models.
Eligibility: Candidates must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant scientific field, demonstrate academic excellence, and show an affinity for at least two of the following topics: epithelial cell biology, organoids, organ-on-a-chip technology, basic immunology, and translational research. Mobility eligibility criteria apply, and candidates should be proficient in English, available to start by March 1st, 2024, and eligible to work in the European Union.
Required Documents: Applicants must submit the following documents in English:
- Cover letter (max 3 pages) outlining motivation and strengths related to the chosen project.
- CV (max 2 pages).
- Scanned copy of relevant diplomas or certificates.
- Letter of recommendation from two referees or contact details of referees.
How to Apply: Candidates can apply for a maximum of three PhD projects, and applications must be submitted separately. Application documents in a single PDF file should be sent by email to the relevant project supervisors (see email addresses in individual project descriptions). The subject line of the email must be in the format: “TOP-GUT: application for Project #_Title of PhD project.”
Last Date: The closing date for applications is 30 November 2023. Applicants are advised to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the projects and be prepared to answer questions related to their chosen topics. After the review of project applications, selected candidates will undergo initial screening interviews, leading to potential personal interviews with project supervisors.
Individual Projects:
| DC | Project Title | Primary Supervisor | Institution | EU State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Characterization of carbohydrate complexity along the GI tract | Hans Wandall | University of Copenhagen (UCPH) | DK |
| 2 | The impact of carbohydrate complexity on host-microbe interaction | Sina Bartfeld | Technische Universitat Berlin (TUB) | DE |
| 3 | Cross-tissue organoid immune cell integration and function | Birgit Sawitzki | Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin (CHAR) | DE |
| 4 | Automation of PDO models in microphysiological systems | Eva Dehne | TissUse (TissUse) | DE |
| 5 | Building gut architecture | Silvia Mihăilă | Utrecht Universiteit (UU) | NL |
| 6 | An 3D platform to model gut-stroma interactions | Cristina Barrias | Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto (i3S) | PT |
| 7 | Gut on a chip for IBD research | Dorota Kurek | Mimetas (MIM) | NL |
| 8 | Gastric cancer PDOs as a model for personalized T-cell targeted immune cell therapy | Hans Wandall | University of Copenhagen (UCPH) | DK |
| 9 | Gastric cancer organoids as a model for personalized cancer therapy | Celso Reis | Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto (i3S) | PT |
| 10 | The ethics and law of GI models (Position not yet open) | Søren Holm / Heidi Beate Bentzen | University of Oslo (UiO) | NO |
| 11 | ECP preconditioning to reverse trained immunity in kidney transplantation | Roger Geiger | Università della Svizzera italiana (IRB) | CH |
