Postdoc Development of production methods for Terbium radionuclides

Are you passionate about healthcare, technology, innovation, physics and radiochemistry? Are you looking for a challenging role where you can apply your expertise to help improve patient care? Then this is your opportunity! For a collaborative project with Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Particle Therapy Research Center (Partrec) and SHINE Europe BV, we are looking for a motivated and innovative postdoc who wants to contribute to healthcare innovation. Are you excited about developing and implementing new radionuclide and radiopharmaceutical production methods? Then we warmly welcome you to apply and hopefully join our team of dedicated professionals!

Project description

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan reflects a strong commitment to advancing cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Nuclear medicine, which combines biomolecules with radioisotopes, has long played an important role in cancer care. Recent advances have led to theranostics, a new generation of radiopharmaceuticals that combine diagnostic and therapeutic functions in a single agent. By enabling personalized treatment strategies, theranostics have the potential to improve outcomes and quality of care for cancer patients.

Among the most promising theranostic agents are radioisotopes from the terbium family. Research indicates that terbium isotopes could become highly effective tools for both cancer imaging and targeted therapy. However, their development is constrained by limited access to essential enriched starting materials and the complex technologies required to separate and process the isotopes. This dependency creates a vulnerable and unsustainable supply chain, slowing innovation in nuclear medicine and limiting patient access to new therapies.

The Terbium for Life project (collaboration between SHINE Europe and UMCG) will strengthen the resilience of the Dutch and European pharmaceutical sectors by establishing a secure, independent supply chain for terbium-based cancer theranostics.

Your responsibilities will include:

• design and execute productions for Terbium isotopes;
• develop purification methods for produced Terbium isotopes and explore radiolabelling methods;
• involvement in design of a new radiometal laboratory;
• publishing results in leading international journals and presenting at international conferences;
• supervising MSc and PhD students involved in the project;
• contributing to national and international research collaborations and future grant applications.

Requirements

• PhD in radiochemistry, nuclear chemistry or nuclear physics
• Excellent oral and written command of English.
• Excellent communication skills, especially for interdisciplinary collaborations
• Capable of proactive, self-motivated, and comfortable working in a multidisciplinary research environment.
• Affinity with and interest in imaging and the required chemical techniques in this project is regarded as a preference.

Conditions of employment

We offer a challenging position in an enthusiastic team of experts in a broad and rapidly evolving field. As a postdoc, you will be part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary and dedicated team of professionals. You will be appointed in a temporary fulltime position (36 hours per week) of two years. Your salary will be a maximum of € 5.867 gross per month (scale 10), depending on your qualifications and relevant experience, based on a full-time appointment. In addition, you will receive 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% year-end bonus. The conditions of employment comply with the Collective Labour Agreement for Medical Centres (CAO-UMC).

You will have access to excellent research infrastructure, opportunities for international collaboration, and dedicated support for career development and scientific education. All this while living in Groningen, a vibrant and welcoming university city with a great quality of life - Home - IWCN.

Starting date: November 2026.

Department

Step into our world: at the UMCG, you will work within the departments of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Particle Therapy Research Center and SHINE. You will collaborate closely with chemists, technologists and physicists. As a postdoc at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), you will be part of an inspiring work environment where healthcare and technology seamlessly merge. You’ll join a multidisciplinary team working with cutting-edge developments in biomedical technology and tracer development.

Links

NGMB, Particle Therapy Research Center (PARTREC), SHINE Europe B.V. Designing Advanced Medical Isotopes Facility in the Netherlands, Dit is Groningen

Additional information

Philip Elsinga

(050) 361 3247

p.h.elsinga@umcg.nl

Ines Farinha Antunes

(050) 361 0760

i.farinha.antunes@umcg.nl