We are looking for a candidate who meets the following requirements:
1. You are creative and ambitious, hard-working, and persistent.
2. You have a MSc degree or you will have it by the end of February 2026 in biomedical sciences, (bio)chemistry or any other relevant program.
3. You have theoretical and applied knowledge or interest incell biology, thrombosis and platelets.
4. You have good communicative skills, and the attitude to partake successfully in the work of a research team.
5. You have a good command of the English language (Spoken and Written, Proficiency C1).
Eligibility criteria
6. Supported researchers must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment.
7. Recruited researchers can be of any nationality and must comply with the following mobility rule: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary (Belgium) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. For ‘International European Research Organisations’ (IERO), ‘international organisations’, or entities created under Union law, the researchers must not have spent more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment in the same appointing organisation. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays and time spent by the researcher as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not considered.
We are looking for you!
Do you want to be trained to develop multi-level thrombosis risk prediction models by integrating cell-, thrombus-, and organ-level insights? While being part of a prestigious MSCA doctoral network working on revolutionizing personalized medicine through cutting-edge in silico, in vitro, and in vivo technologies to understand, predict and treat thrombosis? This is your chance!!This Doctoral Candidate (DC) will perform in vitro microfluidic experiments to analyse platelet adhesion and aggregate formation under flow. Results aim to provide more fundamental knowledge on platelet activation dynamics during platelet aggregation, and detailed analysis of flowmechanics facilitating the biomechanical pathways of thrombosis on a cellular level.
Research program description
ThromboRisk – European Doctoral Network From cells to systems: Pioneering multi-level thrombosis risk prediction models consortium is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101227706. It groups 10 hiring universities: Eindhoven University of Technology (NL), University of Maastricht (NL), University of Amsterdam (NL), KU Leuven (BE), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE), University College London (UK), Transsilvania University of Brasov (RO), SANO Centre for Computational Personalized Medicine (PL), University of Leeds (UK), and University of Bern (CH).
ThromboRisk will develop an integrated platform to advance our understanding of thrombosis across biological scales, combining mechanobiology, biochemistry, pathophysiology, and computational modelling. For this inclusion to occur, each DC will develop through their research a unique contribution to the multi-level thrombosis risk prediction framework, addressing specific aspects of thrombus formation, growth, rupture, and clinical impact. This hands-on training is supplemented with several scientific professional courses and an immersive training program where the DCs can fine-tune their skills for the jobs of tomorrow, while addressing the societal challenges of the ThromboRisk program.
Research within the Laboratory for Thrombosis Research (KU Leuven Campus Kulak Kortrijk) focuses on the molecular mechanisms by which key hemostatic cells and proteins such as platelets, von Willebrand factor and ADAMTS13 contribute to health and disease. The research combines fundamental science with translational approaches, including the development of preclinical animal models, novel treatment strategies and diagnostic assays (website: https://thrombosis.kuleuven-kulak.be). At our lab, a PhD-position is available within the ThromboRisk project, a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network funded by the EU. The position is open for appointment during the course of 2026, with a duration of 48 months hosted by KU Leuven, and includes two secondments hosted by entities within the consortium.
A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network.In addition, we offer you:
8. Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after 1 year.
9. The gross amount of the doctoral scholarship (tax-free) will be approximately 3.055,61 euro per month if you are single with no dependent family members. It will be higher if you have a registered partner without income and/or dependent child(ren); it will be lower if you have a registered partner with income.
10. Additional benefits are in accordance to KU Leuven regulations.
11. High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher.