PhD Position in Cellular Mechanisms of Traumatic Brain Injury-Associated Dementia

This PhD position at the University of Amsterdam focuses on uncovering how repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (rmTBI) contributes to long-term hippocampal dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and dementia risk. Under the supervision of Dr. Carlos Fitzsimons and in collaboration with the Salta lab at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, the candidate will investigate cellular and molecular mechanisms in both mouse models and human-derived samples. The project leverages advanced techniques like single-nucleus transcriptomics, electrophysiology, and behavioral testing to identify disease mechanisms. The position is funded by NWO and offers a collaborative environment with access to cutting-edge facilities at two leading institutions.

• Conduct independent experimental research to characterize short- and long-term effects of rmTBI on hippocampal neural stem cells, neurogenesis, astrogliogenesis, and microglia activation using mouse models.
• Develop and implement bioinformatic pipelines to analyze complex datasets from single-nucleus/spatial transcriptomics, electrophysiology, and behavioral testing.
• Present research findings at national and international scientific conferences and contribute to peer-reviewed journal manuscripts.
• Participate in the UvA PhD training program and the ONWAR Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam Rotterdam, including coursework and international meetings.
• Assist in teaching and supervising undergraduate and master’s students at the University of Amsterdam.
• Collaborate across two labs (Swammerdam Institute and Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience) to integrate findings from mouse models and human iPSC-derived samples.