PhD candidate 'Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma'

• Application Deadline: March 6 2026
• Nijmegen
• On-site

Job Description

Job description

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the deadliest cancer types with a very poor survival this ERC-funded PhD project you will work at the forefront of translational cancer research to develop novel targeted therapeutics aimed at modulating the tumor stroma and improving the efficacy of chemo-immunotherapy in PDAC. You will explore innovative strategies using peptide-based therapeutics and nanomedicine approaches.

A hallmark of PDAC is its abundant and complex tumor stroma which not only supports tumor progression but also forms a major barrier to effective treatment. Conventional therapies including chemotherapy and even the most advanced immunotherapies have shown limited clinical benefit for many patients.

This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to impactful research that may ultimately improve outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer.

As a PhD candidate you will:

• Design and conduct experimental studies on stromal biology in PDAC.
• Develop and test peptide- and nano-based targeted therapeutic strategies.
• Work with in vitro and in vivo PDAC models.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data and present findings at meetings and conferences.
• Contribute to scientific publications and your PhD thesis.
• Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary team members including biologists clinicians and pharmaceutical scientists.

Place of work

You will work in a collaborative environment where basic scientists and clinicians closely interact enabling real translational impact. The team consists of motivated PhD candidates postdocs technicians and clinician-scientists who support each others development and success.

Medical BioSciences is a science department where fundamental and translational biomedical research come together. You will study disease and health from the molecular level to clinical application with a strong focus on medical innovation. Researchers work closely with clinicians to translate new insights into better diagnostics and treatments. Using experimental and data-driven approaches we study biochemical cellular and physiological processes in health and disease.