Phd Candidate: Molecular Epidemiology and Genotyping of Enteric Parasites

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Are you ready to make a real impact on public health by tackling parasitic infections? This is your opportunity to shape the future of epidemiology and surveillance in the Netherlands

**The PhD project**
- and waterborne parasitic infections that affect both humans and animals. Your primary focus will be developing innovative genotyping methods and uncovering the molecular epidemiology of parasites like_Toxoplasma_,_Cryptosporidium_,_Giardia_, and_Echinococcus_. You will contribute to the surveillance efforts that will drive the future of public health protection in the Netherlands.

**Your key responsibilities will include**:

- Conducting retrospective surveillance of parasitic infections, gaining valuable insights into incidence, geographical spread, and infection dynamics.
- Developing sequencing-based genotyping methods to support outbreak investigations and track related cases.
- Disseminating your research findings through scientific publications and presentations at conferences.

By the end of your PhD trajectory, you will have made significant strides in setting up molecular typing protocols, and will be at the forefront of enhancing the national surveillance system for parasitic infections.

**Unique to this role**
This PhD position offers a unique chance to work at the cutting edge of parasitology and molecular microbiology in a One Health setting. You will be working alongside a diverse team of human and veterinary microbiologists, epidemiologists, and public health experts, providing invaluable collaboration and learning opportunities.

What makes this role truly exciting is the chance to directly contribute to national efforts in combating parasitic infections, which have a significant public health impact. With ongoing projects and sample collections from diagnostic services and wastewater surveillance, you will be in the perfect environment to make your research meaningful.

This is not just an academic role - it is a position that will shape public health strategies in the Netherlands and beyond. Plus, the skills you will gain in molecular epidemiology and genomic data analysis will open doors to numerous career opportunities in the field of infectious disease research.

**The department**
You will be based at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and will graduate from Utrecht University. This PhD project will span from 2025 to 2029. Your contract will cover the duration of the project, initially for 12 months, with a potential extension of 36 months following a positive evaluation. As this is a promotional program, you will receive a salary increase after the first year, with your salary rising annually until reaching the maximum pay in the fourth year of the project.

**More information**
Interested? We’d love to hear from you For any questions, feel free to reach out to Jorrit Hofstra, parasitologist at 0031 6 86555216.
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**Who you are**
We are looking for a proactive, curious, and scientific individual who thrives in a multidisciplinary team and is excited about tackling the complexities of parasitic infections. You should be comfortable working with both qualitative and quantitative research methods and have an analytical mindset. Furthermore you have:

- A Master’s degree in life sciences (e.g., biomedical sciences, medicine, bioinformatics);
- A strong interest in parasitology, molecular microbiology, and public health.
- Experience or interest in processing genomic data and molecular epidemiology.
- Excellent communication skills in English, both written and verbal.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively, with a flexible and solution-oriented attitude.

If you are ready to help shape the future of parasitic infection research, this is your chance to take your career to the next level.
**Arbeidsvoorwaarden
- Salarisniveau schaal 8
- Maandsalaris Min €3.246 - Max. €4.340 (bruto)
- Dienstverband Arbeidsovereenkomst voor bepaalde tijd
- Contractduur 48
- Minimaal aantal uren per week 36
- Maximaal aantal uren per week 36
**Overige arbeidsvoorwaarden

Naast het salaris ontvang je een Individueel Keuzebudget (IKB). Het IKB bestaat uit geld (16,50% van je bruto jaarsalaris) en tijd. Met het IKB maak jij de keuzes die bij jou passen en kun je een deel van je arbeidsvoorwaarden zelf samenstellen. Je kunt er bijvoorbeeld voor kiezen om een deel van je maandinkomen te laten uitbetalen wanneer jij dat wenst. Ook kun je dit budget omzetten in verlof en andersom of besteden aan fiscaal vriendelijke doelen. De Rijksoverheid hecht sterk aan persoonlijke groei en loopbaanontwikkeling en biedt daarvoor tal van mogelijkheden. Tot de secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden behoren onder meer verschillende studiefaciliteiten, bedrijfsfitness, volledige vergoeding van je OV-reiskosten woon-werkverkeer en gedeeltelijk betaald ouderschapsverlof.**:Bijzonderheden

Het werving
- en selectieproces ziet er in het algemeen als volgt uit