Assistant Professor Applied Statistics and Data Analytics in Epidemiology (1.0 FTE)

In 2018, the Utrecht Exposome Hub was established to stimulate productive and long-lasting interdisciplinary collaborations on understanding how our environment influences our health. Within the Utrecht Exposome Hub, 45 researchers from different research areas, together with public and private partners such as TNO, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, are investigating the exposome and map the influences on our health.

The Utrecht Exposome Hub combines research on both the external exposome, focusing on sensoring, exposure modelling, and e- and m-Health applications, and on the internal exposome, focusing on metabolonomics and microbiomics. By combining these research areas, we aim to develop successful prevention and intervention strategies for (but not limited to) cardiovascular, mental, infectious, and immunological diseases.

You will build your own research programmes in fields relevant to exposome research that will leverage the extensive study populations, biological samples, and genetic/genomic data available within the Utrecht Exposome Hub. The new faculty will develop collaborations with existing faculties who have expertise in epidemiology, sociology, geosciences, data sciences, metabolomics, microbiomics, statistics, bioinformatics, and system biology and medicine. Successful candidates will engage in teaching students and post-doctoral fellows. Academic appointment as Assistant or Associate Professor rank at the UMCU/UU will be commensurate with the applicant's experience.

We are looking for a highly motivated and creative research scientist (Assistant Professor) who will contribute to the development and implementation of new bioinformatics and biostatistics tools and methods that are needed for high-quality exposome research both now and in the future. The successful candidate will exhibit interest and experience in bringing solutions to real-world data projects, requiring a fine balance between a pragmatic and a more critical attitude. Experience with machine-learning approaches, network models, and causal effect models is a plus but not strictly required.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has a unique position in the Netherlands. Not only is this the only institution where veterinarians are trained, researchers are also working together on innovative scientific research. In addition, the faculty provides specialist clinical care in the largest academic veterinary hospital in Europe. Thanks to this position, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is a point of contact for all veterinary matters, both nationally and increasingly internationally. The faculty employs approximately 900 veterinarians, scientists and support staff and counts 1,500 students.

The position is based in two research groups of Prof Roel Vermeulen at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS) of Utrecht University and of Prof Rick Grobbee at the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht.

IRAS is a leading institute in the field of environmental health risk assessment in Europe. IRAS is a partnership between the Faculties of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine which has an excellent research organization and a widespread international network. Next to epidemiologists, IRAS hosts biostatisticians, exposure scientists and risk assessors. The Environmental Epidemiology Division of IRAS in particular conducts research on environmental contributors (non-genetic factors including lifestyle, environmental, occupational exposures) to adverse health effects and conducts etiological research on several chronic diseases.

The Julius Center (Dutch website) for Health Sciences and Primary Care one of the eleven divisions within the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMC Utrecht). The Julius Center aspires to an international leadership role in obtaining and disseminating knowledge in the field of health sciences and primary care medicine. The Julius Center carries out its ground-breaking research through multidisciplinary co-operation within its four research programmes: Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases, Cancer and Methodology. The Julius Center offers a wide range of successful education programmes to (bio)medical students, researchers, clinicians and other healthcare professionals. With excellent academic primary care, the Julius Center strives for optimal patient care in the Julius Health Centers in Leidsche Rijn, Utrecht.

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For more information, please contact Prof R.C.H. Vermeulen via r.c.h.vermeulen@uu.nl or +31 30 253 94 48.