About this role
PhD candidate 'Modulating the tumor microenvironment to enhance radiosensitivity'. Radboud UMC · Nijmegen Over de vacature - 36 uur per week - parttime - Schaal 10A - CV + Motivatiebrief - 4 jaar - Bepaalde tijd - Geen assessment - geen meeloopdag - Salaris: €3.217-€4.077 per month - Solliciteer voor 4 oktober 2026 Jouw functie The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in determining how tumors respond to radiotherapy. Features such as stromal composition, hypoxia, and cellular senescence can contribute to radioresistance and may therefore represent potential therapeutic targets. In this PhD project, you will investigate how modulation of the TME can enhance the response to radiotherapy. The project will combine patient-derived models and in vivo tumor models to study how different TME characteristics contribute to treatment response and to explore potential strategies to target these mechanisms. A range of complementary preclinical approaches is used, including hypoxia modulation, targeting of senescent cells or cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), (image-guided) radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibition. Treatment response and underlying mechanisms will be assessed through readouts such as DNA damage and repair, tumor growth and characterization of the TME. The precise experimental approaches will be guided by the scientific findings and direction of the project. Jouw werkplek At the Radiotherapy & OncoImmunology (ROI) lab of the department of Radiation oncology, ~ 20 researchers aim at better understanding how tumor cells interact with the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME), and how these interactions influence response to cancer treatment, with a particular focus on radiotherapy. Research is centred around the complex interplay between tumor cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), immune cells and other components of the TME. We aim to identify and therapeutically target TME features that co...