MSCA Doctoral Network EGRET-AAA offering 15 fully-funded PhD positions in Advanced Glaucoma Research in NL/DE/FR/NO

Glaucoma is the most common age-related neurodegenerative eye disease in Western society and one of the four major eye diseases causing blindness. Unfortunately, current treatments can only slow the deterioration but do not halt or reverse the process. Despite the efforts of the early detection and treatment of the disease, currently, approximately 15% of all glaucoma patients in the EU still become bilaterally blind. 

Our European MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE Doctoral Network (DN) EGRET-AAA ('European Glaucoma REsearch Training program for Accelerating the Approach to Advanced Glaucoma') will focus specifically on finding solutions for those patients suffering from advanced glaucoma. We aim to bring revolutionary therapies for protecting and restoring vision in patients with advanced glaucoma a significant step closer to clinical deployment. 

Are you, like us, fascinated by the complex genetics, molecular mechanisms, and pathobiology of the visual system, by retinal physiology or clinical research with advanced techniques for retinal imaging and function testing, or by visual neuroscience and brain-imaging? Do you consider it important to help patients with advanced glaucoma? Do you have an inquisitive mind, and are you looking for a PhD position embedded in an international doctoral network in which you can develop your research, clinical, and entrepreneurial skills? Then consider applying within EGRET-AAA for one of our 15 3-year Joint-Doctorate positions in academia, medical institutes, and high-tech companies in the Netherlands, Germany, France, or Norway. 

All 15 positions and projects are shortlisted below, more details on each of the positions and information about the Joint Doctorate training program can be found on our website www.egret-aaa.eu

3 Challenges = 15 projects = 15 positions

Challenge 1: We need new experimental approaches for restoring vision in advanced glaucoma. In 4 PhD projects you can work on furthering gene and stem cell-based treatment for advanced glaucoma using human retinal organoids.

• Project 1: Experimental Regenerative Medicine: Stem Cell-derived Ganglion Cell Replacement Therapy in Glaucoma Models
  Amsterdam UMC/Amsterdam University, NL in collaboration with Vision Institute/Sorbonne University, Paris, FR
• Project 2: Functional Assessment of Glaucoma Candidate Disease Genes using Genetically Modified Retinal Organoids
  Amsterdam UMC/Amsterdam University, NL in collaboration with Vision Institute/Sorbonne University, Paris, FR
• Project 3: Retinal axon pathfinding: cellular events controlled by subcellular compartment-restricted second messengers
  Vision Institute/Sorbonne University, Paris, FR in collaboration with Amsterdam UMC/Amsterdam University, NL
• Project 4: Intrinsic mechanisms that drive axon guidance at the optic chiasm
  Vision Institute/Sorbonne University, Paris, FR in collaboration with Amsterdam UMC/Amsterdam University, NL

Challenge 2: We need ways to protect remaining or newly established connections between the eye and the brain sufficiently. In 5 PhD positions, you can work on developing new methods to offer remaining and new ganglion cells a healthy environment in terms of oxygen delivery and neuroprotection.

• Project 5: From GWAS to neuroprotective pathways
  University of Oldenburg, DE, in collaboration with Amsterdam UMC/Amsterdam University, NL
• Project 6: Mechanisms of Retinal ganglion cells/glial cells uncoupling by glaucoma-associated stress and their association with neuronal cell death
  Vision Institute/Sorbonne University, Paris, FR in collaboration with the University of Groningen, NL
• Project 7: The role of retinal Mononuclear Phagocytes and Macroglia cells in retinal ischemia
  Vision Institute/Sorbonne University, Paris, FR in collaboration with European Research Institute Biology of Aging of the University Medical Center Groningen/University of Groningen, NL
• Project 8: Multimodal assessment of retinal function in end-stage glaucoma
  Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, DE in collaboration with University Medical Center Groningen/University of Groningen, NL
• Project 9: Multimodal imaging of retinal perfusion
  IMEDOS Health GmbH/Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, DE in collaboration with University Medical Center Groningen/University of Groningen, NL

Challenge 3: We need new and accurate diagnostic tools to assess patients with advanced glaucoma. In 6 PhD positions, you can work on developing new techniques to assess changes in retinal and visual pathway structure and function in advanced glaucoma. 

• Project 10: Eye movement-based evaluation of visual function in advanced glaucoma
  BulbiTech, Trondheim, NO in collaboration with University Medical Center Groningen/University of Groningen, NL
• Project 11: Functional assessment in advanced glaucoma
  University Medical Center Groningen/University of Groningen, NL in collaboration with Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, DE
• Project 12: OCT in advanced glaucoma: analysis of retinal tissue properties using deep learning
  University Medical Center Groningen/University of Groningen, NL in collaboration with Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, DE
• Project 13: Structural MRI-based assessment of the visual pathways in late-stage glaucoma
  University Medical Center Groningen/University of Groningen, NL in collaboration with Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, DE
• Project 14: fMRI-based assessment of connectivity in the visual cortex in advanced glaucoma
  University Medical Center Groningen/University of Groningen, NL in collaboration with Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, DE
• Project 15: Cortical plasticity in advanced glaucoma with 7T fMRI
  Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, DE in collaboration with University Medical Center Groningen/University of Groningen, NL

The network

EGRET-AAA has brought together top European expertise and resources in molecular biology, ophthalmology, visual neuroscience, and technology from 15 European labs and companies in the field of vision science and technology. An overview of the participating labs and their projects can be found at www.egret-aaa.eu. This network has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Doctoral Networks under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101072435.

Curious to see and hear more about what it means to be part of a European Training Network? Check out these two short movies about our previous ones NextGenVis and EGRET+.