Do you want to make a challenging next step in your computational modeling research towards health care applications? Do you want to create impact by applying your research skills on multiscale modeling in the quickly growing health care demands of the aged population? Are you intrigued as we are for the possibility to study human resilience, brain aging and dementia from the paradigm of complexity sciences? Do you have an excellent track record in multiscale modeling that allows you to collaborate with technical physician researchers using sensor technology, and clinical researchers studying health problems of older patients?

In this case you are the person we want to offer a co-leading researcher position in the supervision of two ambitious research projects. The first project focuses on studying and modeling systemic resilience of older patients during hospital admission. The second project will focus on modeling dementia in old age as a complex disease in a multiscale model involving cellular mechanisms, and multi-morbidity, aging and environmental factors.

The candidate selected will be a postdoc candidate, well able to apply state of the art computational multiscale modeling techniques, as evidenced by his/her PhD research. The candidate is ambitious and passionate to aim for health and wellbeing improvement goals, by working on these projects, and by application (and additional training) of his/her (research) skills. He/she will also be eager to translate these new methods to other researchers and students via innovative computer simulation programmes. The professional will be appointed at the Department of Geriatrics, for 1.0 or 0.8 fte during a period of two years, with options for longer contracts depending on the success of ongoing and future grant applications.

What we offer:
Excellent research team with high level past performance in clinical research, epidemiology, and applied qualitative research. Tenure track possibilities depending on the candidate’s stage of career. Inspiring environment within a network of national and international top research groups. Participation in the Radboudumc Institute for Health Sciences and the Donders Research Institute for Cognitive and Medical NeuroSciences. Patient care environment with ongoing clinical research, including copromotorship in two PhD trajectories. Big scientific challenge at the cutting edge of currently available research methods, in an area with enormous societal impact because of our quickly aging societies.                

• PhD degree in computer sciences, medical informatics, mathematics or physics
• Research experience in multiscale modeling which can be demonstrated by one or more of the following experience based skills:
  • Competency in modelling complex data sets with mathematical or computational science methods (multiscale modelling, patient specific modelling, system dynamics modelling)
  • Competent in applying multi-scale or time series modelling in human biology, fit to apply in studying human physiology
  • Experience with analysis of wearable sensor based time series
  • Competent in network analysis techniques connecting biological systems (eg different organs)
• The candidate should be capable to:
• Communicate and collaborate interdisciplinary to bridge the different scientific fields
• Flourish in a team of Dutch researchers, both culturally and intellectually

Tasks and Responsibilities

The researcher will:

• Translate modeling and empirical research methods based on complexity science/systems dynamics to the physiology and health of older patients
• Help to renew the field of geriatric research, which currently is dominated by static-measurements, with time series analyses and big data modelling techniques that together allow multiscale modeling
• Study tipping points in human disease trajectories, specifically in older adults
• Develop further research ideas and (co-)write grant applications for further translation of multiscale modeling/complexity science in geriatrics
• Develop an educational simulation model to teach the principles of multiscale modeling approaches to other disciplines

Fixed-term contract: two years.

• Scale 10: max. € 57947 gross income per year at full employment (incl. vacation bonus and end of year payments).
• The candidate will be appointed for a two year period, evaluated after the first year, with opportunities for extension depending on the project progress. Your pay scale will be scale 10, with the level depending on your qualifications as postdoc. The working conditions applicable to the position conform to the university medical centre collective labour agreement.
• Upon commencement of employment we require a certificate of conduct (Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag, VOG). Radboud university medical center’s HR Department will apply for this certificate on your behalf.

Radboudumc (university medical center)

The Radboudumc center advances human knowledge by conducting biomedical, translational and clinical research in order to improve wellbeing.

Our key strength is medical life-sciences and clinical practice, with an impressive infrastructure comprising state-of-the-art technology platforms and (translational) research facilities. The Radboudumc is therefore uniquely positioned in the emerging Euregio and Dutch healthcare infrastructure to play a leading role in the new healthcare paradigm of prediction, prevention and personalised medicine.

The Radboudumc focuses on scientific health challenges of today, with an eye on emerging diseases of the future.

Our mission: ‘to have a significant impact on healthcare’.

Radboudumc advances knowledge by conducting biomedical, translational and clinical research in order to improve wellbeing. Our key strength is medical life-sciences and clinical practice, with an impressive infrastructure comprising state-of-the-art technology platforms and (translational) research facilities.

Radboudumc is therefore uniquely positioned in the emerging Euregio and Dutch healthcare infrastructure to play a leading role in the new healthcare paradigm of prediction, prevention and personalised medicine.

There is more and more emphasis on personalized health care and the Radboudumc and the Department of Geriatrics focus on this to connect health care and research even more to gain societal and health care impact. The projects will be positioned at the Department of Geriatrics, one at the Health Care Improvement Science and the other at the Alzheimer Research theme, part of the Radboudumc Institute for Health Sciences, and the Donders Research Institute for Cognitive and Medical NeuroSciences, respectively. The projects will be closely connected on the one hand to the internationally highly recognized scientific work on medical multiscale modeling from the scientific group of Prof. Alfons Hoekstra and Prof. Peter Sloot, at the Computational Science Lab, Science Parc, UVA, Amsterdam. On the other hand the research will be connected to the inspiring SPARC research network of Wageningen University headed by Prof. Marten Scheffer.