Postdoctoral Researcher - Preclinical Cancer Drug Development

Welcome to Maastricht University!

We have developed a new class of oncology drugs that exploit the tumour microenvironment for selective activation that target the NOTCH stem-cell pathway in cancer. We are looking for an ambitious postdoctoral researcher to establish their therapeutic potential in advanced in vivo cancer models. You will determine efficacy, mechanism of action and tumour-microenvironment responses, and investigate how these drugs can improve treatment when combined with standard-of-care therapies and immunotherapy.

Postdoctoral Researcher – Preclinical Cancer Drug Development

• Our goal: We are developing a new class of tumour-selective small-molecule drugs targeting the NOTCH pathway, designed to become activated only within the tumour microenvironment. By restricting drug activity to tumours, we aim to target treatment-resistant cancer cells while limiting exposure and toxicity in healthy tissues. Our initial disease focus is triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), where we will determine efficacy as monotherapy and in rational combinations with established cancer treatments. The broader objective is to establish a tumour-specific precision-oncology platform that can subsequently be applied to other difficult-to-treat cancers.
• Your colleagues: You will join the group of Marc Vooijs in the Radiotherapy department at Maastricht University and Maastro Radiation Institute, working in a multidisciplinary environment spanning basic and translational cancer biology, including expertise in stem cell biology, tumour metabolomics and vesicle biology and primary (patient) tissue culture models. You will collaborate with scientists and clinicians and contribute to a programme designed to bridge academic discovery to preclinical drug development. This is a 3-year Dutch Cancer Society (Alpe d’Huzes/KWF-funded) project starting on 01-01-2027.
  
  

What you do

• Design, perform and analyse in vivo breast-cancer studies, using immune-competent TNBC models.
• Establish drug dose, schedule and treatment conditions for drug-combination strategies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy.
• Quantify tumour response, tolerability and survival, and relate these to pharmacokinetics, tumour-selective drug activation and target engagement.
• Characterise treatment-induced changes in the tumour microenvironment, including tumour, vascular and immune responses, using molecular, histological and imaging approaches.
• Identify and validate pharmacodynamic and response biomarkers to support patient stratification and clinical translation.
• Communicate results through project meetings, scientific presentations and high-quality publications and contribute scientifically to subsequent translational studies and funding applications.
• Support some teaching activities related to Oncology

Are you ready to set the course for the years ahead? Then we’d love to meet you. 

What you bring 
We are looking for a motivated biomedical scientist who wants to use advanced cancer models to translate innovative biology into new therapeutic strategies. Do you recognise yourself in this?

• PhD in cancer biology, with a demonstrated track record of peer-reviewed publications in a relevant research area.
• Strong hands-on experience within vivo cancer models is essential, including experimental design, tumour-response assessment and tissue collection. A valid Article 9 qualification or equivalent is required.
• A strong interest in translational oncology, innovation and preclinical drug development is essential.
• Experience with the tumour immune microenvironment and/or immuno-oncology is preferred.
• Experience with molecular and -omics analysis of tumours is preferred, including transcriptomic, single-cell, spatial or related approaches and their integration with in vivo treatment response.
• Experience with combination treatments, pharmacology/PK-PD or radiotherapy is an advantage; Article 5B or equivalent irradiation certification is preferred.

What we offer
At Maastricht University, you’ll work in an international, open, and engaged environment. We offer: 

• A 12-month contract (1,0 FTE) with the prospect of a two-year extension.
• A gross monthly salary between €3.706 and €5.760 (based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week). 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus. 
• 29 vacation days (based on full-time), four additional days off (Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day), and the possibility to accrue up to 12 extra days through compensation hours.
• A close-knit community of colleagues to collaborate and grow with. 
• A solid pension plan via ABP, company fitness schemes, and access to various university sports facilities. 
• An inspiring work environment in the heart of Europe. 

About the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML)
FHML is committed to health in the broadest sense: from molecule to human, and from healthcare to prevention. We train healthcare professionals and researchers through innovative educational programmes and conduct groundbreaking research in health and well-being. As part of Maastricht UMC+ (MUMC+), our international and interdisciplinary community forms a unique collaboration between university and academic hospital, where education, research, and care come together.

Interested? 
Want to know more about this position or what it’s like to work at our university? Reach out to Marc Vooijs at marc.vooijs@maastrichtuniversity.nl  or check out our website : https://www.maastro.nl/research. The publication's end date is 1-11-2026.

If you apply, please upload:

• CV
• Motivation letter, describing your experience and interest in translational oncology and/or preclinical drug development. If you have relevant experience, please briefly describe the therapeutic strategies, cancer models or treatments you have worked with and your role. Please also describe your experience with analysing single-cell and/or spatial omics data, including the analyses or methods you have performed yourself.
• Contact information of 3 references. 

The preferred start date for this position is January 2027.

Apply now via the button below. We look forward to getting to know you!

About Maastricht University
At Maastricht University, we collaboratively seek solutions to help move the world forward. We do this with 23,300 students and 5,400 employees across 5 regional locations, 6 faculties, and more than 70 research institutes. We encourage you to push boundaries and discover new opportunities for yourself and the world around you. Together, we can find the answers for tomorrow.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

At Maastricht University, we prefer to contact potential candidates directly. We therefore kindly ask that no agencies or intermediaries submit offers or approaches.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.