MSCA-DN PhD in regulatory & access pathways for leukodystrophy (Utrecht, NL)

About your role

You will initiate and conduct several studies on regulatory pathways and sustainable access to innovative therapies for rare diseases. Your research will address:

• regulatory, organisational and scientific factors that influence the development of orphan medicines in academic settings;
• requirements for small-scale (“n-of-few”) manufacturing and quality control of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs);
• patient-reported outcomes relevant to leukodystrophy therapies;
• cross-border access and reimbursement pathways for innovative therapies in Europe. You will use a combination of regulatory document analysis, expert interviews and case studies. This will allow you to bring together different scientific perspectives and contribute to knowledge that can support the development and accessibility of therapies for rare diseases.As part of the POLARIS network, you will also undertake secondments. These will provide hands-on experience in regulatory science and orphan-drug analysis at Amsterdam UMC platform Medicijn voor de Maatschappij, as well as experience with cross-border access and reimbursement within the European Reference Network for Rare Neurological Diseases (ERN-RND) at University Hospital Tübingen.Your PhD will be awarded by the Faculty of Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
  About you
  We are looking for a motivated researcher who is interested in rare diseases and the development and accessibility of innovative therapies. You have:
• a Master's degree in a discipline relevant to the project, such as medical or pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical sciences, health sciences, epidemiology or a related field;
• an interest in conducting research at the intersection of rare diseases, regulatory science and access to therapies;
• the ability to work accurately and independently and to plan and organise your research;
• good communication and interpersonal skills and an interest in collaborating with people from different professional and academic backgrounds;
• good academic writing skills and proficiency in English, both written and spoken. Experience with quantitative and qualitative research methods, relevant professional or research experience, or scientific publications would be an advantage, but are not essential.We value different backgrounds and perspectives. If you meet the essential requirements and are motivated to develop your expertise in this field, we encourage you to apply.Eligibility criteriaImportant, strict eligibility criteria according to MARIE SKLODOWSKA CURIE programs apply to applicants:
• You must not already hold a doctoral degree.
• At the time of the application deadline, you must have a Master's degree and must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the Netherlands for more than 12 months in the three years prior to the contract start date.
• You will participate in the network-wide training programme of POLARIS, which includes (international) training activities and planned secondments with POLARIS partner organizations throughout the EU.
  Our offer
  
• A contract for 12 months, with the intention to extend for a total of 3 years;
• Salary, mobility allowance and benefits according to the applicable MSCA Doctoral Network and host-organisation rules;
• Embedding in the international POLARIS doctoral training network;
• Access to network-wide training activities, secondments and transferable-skills development;
• A challenging and interdisciplinary research project at the interface of rare disease research and regulatory science;
• An open and supportive team culture with opportunities for scientific and professional development.