Postdoc Population Genetics in Rheumatology

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We are looking for an ambitious and enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher with strong background in genetic epidemiology to expand our team. As part of the large EU consortium, you will be working in close collaboration with data scientists, epidemiologists, statisticians and doctors within Europe (including England, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Hungary and Greece). Do you have a strong background and interest in epidemiology and population genetics and are motivated to expand your skills further in such a unique translational set up? Then you could become our new colleague!

About your role

As a postdoc in our group, you will play a pivotal role in conducting and coordinating genetic analyses. Your primary responsibility will be to establish an analytical framework for studying and identifying novel genetic predispositions related to rheumatic diseases. This framework will be instrumental in optimizing disease stratification among individuals with rheumatic complaints. Our goal is to deepen our understanding of the underlying causes of rheumatic diseases by systematically integrating genetic studies within our translational research team.

You will be tasked with gaining and maintaining a comprehensive understanding of genetic studies in rheumatology and related fields. This involves staying updated through literature surveys, attending conferences, engaging in discussions with team members, and participating in internal lab meetings.

Your responsibilities will include conducting, analyzing, and interpreting genetic analyses for various projects. This will involve developing genetic risk scores to differentiate between diseases or disease subsets, continuing ongoing work within our LUMC-led GWAS consortium focusing on the remission of Rheumatoid arthritis, supporting and guiding the etiological hypothesis of other projects by demonstrating genetic associations with findings, and investigating genetic interactions with phenotypes.

Additionally, you will take a leading role in writing manuscripts based on your analyses and findings. You will have the opportunity to present your results at both national and international scientific meetings, as well as consortium meetings.

Furthermore, you will play a role in co-supervising junior scientists, including data scientists, MSc/BSc students, and PhD students within the team. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute significantly to the field of rheumatology through cutting-edge genetic research and collaboration within a dynamic research environment.

About you

A PhD in genetic epidemiology or a related field, with experience conducting genetic association studies and downstream analyses.
Recommended (but not required) experience in areas such as RNAseq, omic analyses, functional genetics, or clinical epidemiology.
Strong motivation and dedication to expanding skills within a clinical setting.
Understanding of the opportunities and challenges of working in international collaborations under European grants, with fixed deliverables and milestones.
Effective project and time management abilities, with a collaborative approach to teamwork.
Ambitious and capable of taking responsibility for research projects, while aligning well with colleagues. Organized, independent, proactive, and resilient in the face of setbacks.
Excellent analytical, communication, and writing skills, with a clear and concise style.
Fluency in English, both written and spoken.

Our offer

Getting better by breaking new ground; that's our mission. This applies not only to healthcare, but also to our employees. In order to be able to continue to learn and develop, we offer internal and external training. You are also entitled to an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), holiday allowance, sports budget and bicycle scheme. Furthermore, as an employee of LUMC, you are also affiliated with the ABP pension fund. This means that 70% of your pension premium is paid by LUMC, leaving you with a higher net salary. Nice, right?

See all employment conditions of the LUMC.

About your workplace

You will be part of the rheumatology data science lab led by Dr. Rachel Knevel. The lab is part of the Rheumatology department, an EULAR Center of Excellence, led by prof Tom Huizinga. Here, in addition to clinical care, research focusses on the pathogenesis of various autoimmune diseases. The rheumatology department consists of approximately 100 enthusiastic postdocs, PhD students, research analysts, physicians and support staff.

Within the international consortia, we closely work together with the genetics groups of Heather Cordell from Newcastle university, UK. The rheumatology data science lab is in close connection with the Leiden Center of Computational Biology, a group of data scientists based at both the Leiden University Medical Center (dept. of Biomedical Data Sciences; Prof. Ewout Steyerberg) and Delft University of Technology (Patter Recognition and Bioinformatics; Prof. Marcel Reinders), with day to day interactions with one of its faculty members dr. Erik van den Akker.

The rheumatology data science lab is dedicated to advancing our understanding of rheumatological disease processes using extensive clinical data. Our expertise lies in analyzing large-scale observational data and studying care processes to develop robust prediction models. These models aim to facilitate quicker diagnosis, timely referrals, and optimized treatment decisions. By integrating data from general practitioners and hospitals across Europe, we create algorithms to analyze the healthcare journeys of patients diagnosed with rheumatic diseases. The ultimate goal is to identify opportunities for process optimization. This interdisciplinary research is part of the larger EU consortium known as SPIDeRR (https://spiderr-project.eu/en/HOME/), where our team, consisting of bioinformaticians, statisticians, medical doctors, and geneticists, plays a crucial role in pushing the boundaries of rheumatological research.

What do we represent?

Our health is our greatest asset. Unlike any other profession, in healthcare, you can fully appreciate the entire spectrum of humanity in all its breadth. LUMC, as an academic medical center, wholeheartedly embraces that diversity! We strive for the highest quality in healthcare, education, and (international) research. We aim to be a creative and inspiring workplace. It is essential that everyone feels at home, safe, and recognized. That is why the LUMC was the first academic medical center to partner with Workplace Pride. Our active network, LUMC Pride, is dedicated to optimal inclusivity and diversity within our organization. Regardless of origin, gender, appearance, age, identity, orientation, or faith, you are a valuable part of our organization. Together, we are LUMC.

More information

As a postdoctoral researcher your salary will at minimum be € 3,359 and € 5,292 at most (scale 10, CLA UMC). These figures are based on full-time employment.
Giving a presentation is part of the procedure and references are requested for this vacancy.
Applications from employment/recruitment agencies will not be considered.

Contact

Jyaysi Desai, PhD, Project Manager, Department of Rheumatology

Apply now