You will develop and validate mathematical models to numerically simulate the interplay between metabolites, lifestyle (behaviour) and sociocultural factors and their effects on oral and metabolic health during the first 1000 days of life. Behavioural, environmental, and sociocultural aspects of microbiome-host developments should be modelled in a mechanistic manner to address intrapopulation variations. The mechanistic models should be used to unravel the perturbations that affect the development of the microbiome during the early stages of life. Further, you will explore how such perturbations in the microbiome modulate the health of a child. The developed mathematical models will be then used to design macro (lifestyle) interventions at oral and gut levels.  Multiscale mechanistic and statistical models that connect the microbial dynamics, individual dietary & lifestyle behaviour and collective environmental cues  needs to be developed. These individual models should be coupled using a unified simulation framework to develop, simulate and test personalized, risk-based and/or community-based interventions to enhance oral and metabolic health and reduce inequalities.

You will dedicate some 10% of your time to academic teaching, where you will be guiding master and bachelor students in their thesis research and where you will be delivering guest lectures in the Master Computational Science. You are expected to take an active role in departmental activities, ranging from research seminars to board memberships and grant applications. Your ability and willingness to take up substantial administrative tasks are particularly welcome.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD in computational modelling or a closely related discipline, along with substantial research experience in biomedical or psychobiological, data-driven dietary modelling and related areas.

Your experience and profile:

• committed researcher, demonstrated by publications in international refereed academic journals and academic publishers;
• flexible, readiness to participate in interdisciplinary cooperation and multidisciplinary development (verifiably focused on collaboration with other disciplines).

We offer a temporary employment contract for 38 hours per week for a period of 24 months with a probationary period of one month. The preferred starting date is flexible between 1 September, 2025 and 30 January, 2026. The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3,378 to € 5,331 (scale 10). In addition, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Curious about our extensive secondary benefits package? You can read more about it here.