Judith Sluimer

Postdoctoral Researcher: Reset Aged Vascular Function at Maastricht University is an ambitious cardiovascular ageing project hosted at CARIM (Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht) and the Pathology department. The position sits within the group of Prof. Judith Sluimer and focuses on understanding how mesenchymal cells and their metabolism contribute to vascular ageing. The project examines the perivascular layer, where the first signs of ageing are thought to occur, rather than only the inner vessel wall. By studying human and murine cells, arteries, and animal models, the project aims to build a cross-species multi-omics RNA and metabolic atlas and identify gene leads that change with ageing. The postdoctoral researcher will help test whether identified targets can causally reset fibroblast function and/or metabolism to rescue vascular dysfunction in ageing, hypertension, and/or atherosclerosis. The work combines cell- and tissue-based experiments with functional and metabolic studies, aiming to uncover new therapeutic targets for delaying vascular ageing and cardiovascular disease. The project is embedded in CARIM, one of the research institutes within the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences and part of Maastricht UMC+. The research environment is strongly interdisciplinary and internationally oriented, with close links between basic mechanisms, early diagnosis, and translation to clinical practice. The role also includes supervision of BSc/MSc/PhD students, teaching contributions, grant development, and the option to analyse single-cell sequencing data.