Do you have a MSc degree in viro-immunology or a related field and are you excited to make a meaningful impact on the health of newborns? Then this is your opportunity to make a difference!

Background

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) poses a considerable burden on public health. While mostly resulting in a mere common cold in healthy adults, RSV can cause severe disease requiring hospitalization especially in infants and older adults. In 2025, for the first time, all infants in the Netherlands are offered the newly approved monoclonal antibody nirsevimab for the prevention of severe RSV disease as part of the National Immunization Program. This is the first time an antibody is used on such a wide scale for the prevention of an infectious disease. Nirsevimab has been proven to be effective against RSV-associated hospitalization. Nevertheless, protection by antibodies is not absolute and also temporary. In general, there are still many unknowns regarding the immune correlates of protection for RSV. This highlights the need for a better insight into the mechanisms of immunological protection, to support an optimal implementation and monitoring of current and future preventative strategies for RSV. With the proposed project, we aim to increase our understanding of the quality and duration of this passively acquired protection and the subsequent development of the infant’s own immune response following primary RSV infection.

The insights gained from this project will allow us to provide knowledge-based advise on further finetuning the implementation and monitoring of this novel passive immunization strategy in relation to - or in combination with - other vaccination strategies, to protect infants against severe RSV disease even better.

Main responsibilities

You will investigate the quality and duration of the humoral protection acquired through nirsevimab immunization in young children and the subsequent development of the infants own humoral and cellular immune response after RSV infection, with specific attention to systemic and local antibody functionality in relation to protection against severe RSV disease.

In this respect, your role will involve:

• design an immunological analysis-plan based on available literature and methods, and analyze immunological response data within a specific birth cohort that are offered the newly approved monoclonal antibody nirsevimab, with a one-year follow-up.
• perform an in-depth analysis of antibody effector functions associated with protection from RSV infection and disease, and the development of the infants immune response following nirsevimab administration, by the analysis of functional antibody responses and memory T (and B) cell responses at the single cell level; relate immune response profiles to timepoint of primary RSV infection and clinical outcome.
• systematic literature reviewing of available and ongoing studies related to the immunological correlates of protection related to passive and active immunization against RSV.
• Analyze and interpret data (in collaboration with bioinformaticians), publish in peer-reviewed journals, present the results in the institute and at (inter-)national conferences, and finally prepare a PhD thesis based on your findings.
• Participate as part of a team of immunologists, virologists, epidemiologists, and pediatricians at RIVM and collaborating institutes to provide and translate the public health relevance of your studies.

You will be appointed at:

The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has been at the forefront of protecting public health and consumer safety for over a hundred years. RIVM is a knowledge institute that plays a vital role in society, carrying out independent research and providing trusted policy advice to the government regarding health and environmental issues. We address a wide range of topics, including infectious diseases, vaccinations, population studies, lifestyle, nutrition, drugs, the environment, sustainability, and safety. This work is carried out through research, advice, and implementation, with numerous reports published annually.

The Center for Immunology of Infectious Diseases and Vaccines (IIV) at RIVM serves as the government's knowledge center in the field of immunology of infectious diseases and vaccines. The core mission of IIV is to provide information and advice on vaccine effectiveness, vaccination strategies, and immune responses to infectious diseases, supporting government policy and informing the public. Research at IIV focuses on optimizing the effectiveness and safety of current and future vaccination programs, immunosurveillance, age-related efficacy of immune responses, and identifying correlates of protection. The center collaborates intensively with other RIVM knowledge centers and national and international partners specializing in immunology, microbiology, epidemiology, and outbreak control of infectious diseases.

Within IIV, the Department of Immune Mechanisms - Immunological Models (IIM) employs immunological models to support the core mission of IIV.

As a PhD student, you will be academically affiliated with a university in the Netherlands, and will become a member of that university’s Graduate School.

Unique to this job

We are an international, dynamic, and highly motivated team of scientists at various stages of our careers, united by a strong drive to advance immunological research for the benefit of public health. We combine expertise in virology, immunology, and bioinformatics, and we believe in the power of collaboration and teamwork.

More information and apply
Are you interested in this PhD-position? Address your application to Jørgen de Jonge, department head of Immune Mechanisms - Immunological Models (IIM). Do you have questions first? Then please contact the responsible project leaders Puck van Kasteren[PK1] ([email protected], +31 6 311 423 91) or Rob van Binnendijk ([email protected]). We look forward to hearing from you.

The application deadline is Sunday, 02 November at 23:59 hours.

[PK1]https://www.rivm.nl/en/about-rivm/knowledge-and-expertise/experts-and-expertise/puck-van-kasteren

Profile

• Background in infection and immunity or a related field, preferably with previous experience in working with humoral and/or cellular immune responses or immune markers.
• Experience in biological/statistical analyses; affinity with complex data-analyses, including high-dimensional data and multivariable models.
• A strong motivation to work in a multidisciplinary laboratory-based team and contribute to public health.

We are looking for:

• A candidate enthusiastic to embark on a journey to generate new knowledge on immune defense mechanisms for RSV and innovations in immunoassays.
• You have a biological, biomedical or medical MSc degree, preferably with a focus on infection and immunity.
• You have experience with statistical analysis, preferably in R, of large datasets in a research context.
• You can collaborate in a diverse team of researchers and laboratory technicians.
• You have good communication skills, oral as well as in writing, in Dutch and English.

Bij het RIVM hebben we één van de beste cao's van Nederland, namelijk die van de Rijksoverheid. Naast een goed salaris hebben we aantrekkelijke arbeidsvoorwaarden zoals een Individueel Keuzebudget van 16.5 % van je bruto jaarsalaris waarover je zelf de regie hebt. Je kunt iedere maand een deel laten uitbetalen of extra vrije dagen kopen of verkopen. Daarnaast bieden we fiscale voordelen om bijvoorbeeld je studieschuld af te lossen. Ook zijn we een mantelzorgvriendelijke organisatie. Meer weten? Lees er meer over onder de kop ‘overige arbeidsvoorwaarden’.

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