Job University Medical Center Utrecht (UMC Utrecht) - Ph.D. internship m/f

You will be working on a project to develop web-based, respondent-driven methods for investigating the transmission of infectious diseases and to explore them as alternative methods for detecting small outbreaks of possibly unknown pathogens. To investigate whether a signal can be amplified by making use of localized information that is available to individual respondents only, a combination of social sciences tools and mathematical modeling will be used. One part of the project will be the development of a web-based questionnaire to explore social networks, the other part will be a theoretical analysis of the effectiveness of intervention in outbreaks using information obtained or spread via social networks.

You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team that has long-standing experience in collaboration on the interface between mathematical modeling and statistics, epidemiology and public health. The aim of the project is an academic promotion, and part-time employment is optional.

You will have successfully completed a masters degree in theoretical biology, mathematics, biostatistics, or social sciences with a strong quantitative background. Experience with mathematical modeling and advanced statistical techniques will be advantageous. You should have a broad interest in the application of mathematical methods to epidemiological and public health questions. You must be able to communicate well with researchers from other disciplines and should be eager to learn to solve problems on the interface between theoretical epidemiology and public health. With support of the research team, you will be expected to write scientific papers on the results of the project and give presentations at national and international meetings.

We offer a temporary full-time appointment for 4 years on the salary scale for Ph.D. internships.

The project will be conducted within the Utrecht Centre for Infection Dynamics, which is a newly founded centre of collaboration between the University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University and the RIVM. The Utrecht Centre for Infection Dynamics, a division of the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, seeks to bring together expertise in epidemiology, microbiology, immunology, mathematics, biostatistics, and public health, with a strong focus on the application of mathematical modeling. The project will be conducted in close collaboration with researchers at the RIVM and with the social sciences faculty at Utrecht University.