PhD Position Title

PhD Position: Investigating Effects of Lifestyle Interventions on Carbohydrate Metabolism

The Department of Human Biology at Maastricht University invites applications for a fully funded PhD position. This project focuses on developing and applying advanced MRI-based metabolic imaging techniques to study how lifestyle interventions, such as exercise and nutrition, affect carbohydrate metabolism in both health and disease, with a focus on cancer patients.

PhD Position Summary

Lifestyle interventions are important not only in the prevention of metabolic diseases but also for improving health outcomes in patients with conditions such as cancer. In this PhD project advanced metabolic imaging techniques, such as deuterium metabolic imaging, will be developed at a 7T MRI scanner and applied to explore the impact of nutritional strategies and exercise interventions on carbohydrate metabolism across multiple organs, as well as in tumor tissue. By contributing to this project, the candidate will help generate new insights into how these interventions can be optimized for health improvements, both in disease prevention and patient care. This research has the potential to influence public health strategies by offering evidence-based insights into tailored interventions, potentially shaping future nutritional and exercise guidelines in clinical settings.

We offer a challenging PhD research project and we ask for a highly motivated PhD candidate with a strong background, interest, and affinity for academic research in the area of lifestyle interventions and metabolic health to further strengthen our research group. Additionally, candidates with expertise in MRI/MRS methodology will be prioritized.

Eligibility and requirements

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with:

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field such as human movement sciences, biomedical engineering, (technical) medicine, biomedical sciences, or health sciences.
• A strong interest in the areas of lifestyle interventions, human and carbohydrate metabolism is preferred.
• Experience with MRI or other imaging techniques (we will provide training and support to develop expertise in metabolic imaging during the project).
• Proven skills in quantitative analysis and scientific writing.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work in an interdisciplinary team.

Our Offer

As PhD Position: Investigating Effects of Lifestyle Interventions on Carbohydrate Metabolismat Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale P according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €2901,00 and €3707,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as ‘acknowledge and appreciate’.

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Application Deadline

Jan 15, 2025

Apply Now