The posting
Do you want to better understand how viruses affect the human body? Then apply for a PhD position to study the metabolic footprint in human enterovirus infections along the gut-brain axis as part of the MERIT MCSA doctoral network. About the project MERIT (MEtabolic Reprogramming in viral pathogenesis: from Infection to Therapeutic innovations) is an EU-funded MSCA training programme aimed at better understanding how viruses affect the human body. Coordinated by Dr. Adithya Sridhar, Assistant Professor, and Prof. Dr. Dasja Pajkrt, Professor of Pediatric Infectious diseases, from the OrganoVIR Labs at Amsterdam UMC (location AMC), this project brings together 7 academic institutions and 12 associated partners from across Europe. Within MERIT, researchers will take a new, holistic approach that focuses on infections and host metabolism to unravel virus-induced metabolic reprogramming and its impact on human health. The project’s objective lies in understanding the complex interplay between viruses and host cells, focusing on metabolic reprogramming, and long-term consequences of infection. This will be achieved by combining three methodological pillars: human organoids, integrative and spatial omics, and advanced microscopy. About the role Different enteroviruses genotypes exhibit distinct disease presentations, as demonstrated by recent studies using human brain organoids. Clinical differences are associated with differential inflammatory responses, but the underlying metabolic changes driving these varied immune responses remain unexplored. Emerging evidence suggests that enterovirus infections significantly alter the host metabolic landscape, affecting glucose, glutamine, lipid, and nucleotide metabolism. This doctoral project aims to study the hypothesis that early metabolic changes are key determinants of long-term clinical outcomes of enterovirus infections. To test this, the metabolic landscape following infections with enteroviruses belonging to different
species will be investigated along the gut-brain axis, with the use of immunocompetent and immunodeficient patient-derived organoids. At the Amsterdam UMC in the Netherlands, MERIT is looking for a Doctoral Candidate (DC) to work on Work Packages 1 and 3. As DC10, your objectives are: to study metabolic changes during infection with enteroviruses belonging to species B and C in gut and brain organoids; to study differences in host responses between immunocompetent and immunodeficient patient gut organoids; to perform integrative omics and genome-scale metabolic modelling for EV-B and EV-C infected organoids. You will be guided during your research project by Dr. Katja Wolthers and Dr. Adithya Sridhar. You can apply for this position until 30 October 2026. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered. Profile master's degree in biomedical sciences, infection, immunity or related fields; experience working with viruses, mammalian cell culture, qPCR, and bioinformatics are preferred; excellent oral and written communication skills in English (minimum C1/C2 CEFR level); an interest in working in a multidisciplinary research group; have not resided/carried out work or studies in the Netherlands for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before 1 April 2027 (transnational mobility rule). Our offer A contract with the Amsterdam UMC for 36 hours per week for 4 years (probation of 6 months). The opportunity to work on large-scale and in-house research with motivated colleagues from all over the world. Planned secondments in the Justus Liebig University Giessen (Germany) and the Medical University Innsbruck (Austria), Training in safety and biosecurity aligned with international best practices. You will be trained in hazard identification, containment, incident reporting, and dual-use/gain-of-function issues. An opportunity to take part in a tailor-made pre-MBA programme to develop entrepreneurial and commercial skills and other network-wide
