Master´s thesis project available at the Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK)

Project background:
Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death worldwide. Unstable atherosclerotic plaque rupture causes life-threatening events like coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction and stroke. Therefore, novel targets are needed to improve therapeutic interventions. Intraplaque angiogenesis strongly contributes to the maturation of a plaque from a stable to an unstable phenotype by allowing intraplaque hemorrage, the leakage of immune and red blood cells inside the plaque, causing the plaque to enlarge and become rupture-prone. Cell migration and proliferation, processes involved in angiogenesis, are controlled by different chemokines with their receptors. However, their role in plaque instability, particularly in intraplaque angiogenesis and hemorrage, is still largely unknown.
For this project we aim to understand the role played by chemokines and their receptors in intraplaque angiogenesis and plaque instability. We offer a dynamic and inspiring environment, a possibility to develop your skills and get acquainted with (high-end) methods, and to become part of an exciting scientific project which holds potential to grow into a scientific position (PhD-student).

Techniques you are going to work with include:
- In vitro and ex vivo angiogenesis assays
- Cell culture assays using fibroblasts and endothelial cells
- Mouse models of atherosclerosis
- Human 3D plaque culture model
- Advanced fluorescence microscopy (Thunder, confocal, two-photon microscopy)
- Optical tissue clearing of murine and human atherosclerotic plaques
- Flow cytometry
Supervisors:
Dr. Laura Parma, Dr. Johan Duchene, Dr. Remco Megens
When interested, please send your application including a short CV until 15.11.2023 to [email protected] and [email protected]