Cardiovascular Tissue Regeneration

ESR project

2.7

Title of project

Kidney regeneration in an Organ-on-a-Chip model

We offered

A 4-year PhD student position in the interdisciplinary area of regenerative medicine. The project will focus on in vitro modelling of kidney regeneration.

Department

The Department of Nephrology and Hypertension at the UMC Utrecht

Description

With the aging population and Western lifestyle, diabetes and diabetes-associated diseases are rising to epidemic proportions. Diabetic nephropathy results from chronic hyperglycemia, the circulation of advanced glycation end products, and hormonal and hemodynamic changes, and is the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease. Great social and economic burden associated with kidney diseases urge for novel therapies. Stem cell-based regenerative medicine, including stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EV), may provide such therapies. To investigate the efficacy of potential therapies, you will develop a “Multi-Organ-on-a-Chip” platform combining kidney, liver and pancreas physiology. Subsequently, you will investigate interaction between different organs in health and disease, and the effect of potential therapies on this interaction, in this developed platform, and relate it to in vivo equivalents.

Contact person & more information

Bas van Balkom, UMC Utrecht
B.W.M.vanBalkom@umcutrecht.nl

RESCUE

This project is part of RESCUE, a multidisciplinary, intersectoral and interdisciplinary PhD training programme in Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells organised by UMC Utrecht (coordinator) and Utrecht University. RESCUE is partly funded by the European Commission under Horizon 2020's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND scheme. There are specific requirements with regards to English language and mobility for candidates who would like to take part in this programme. More information