The Chair holder will lecture within BSc courses in the Health Sciences, Health & Life Sciences, and Biomedical Sciences programmes, as well as in specialization courses covering topics as  Environmental Health and Environmental Toxicology. The Chair holder will supervise BSc, MSc and PhD students to deliver academics that are skilled both in environmental health and toxicology. Together with the two other Chairs in E&H, a minor will be developed on Environmental Chemistry, Toxicology and Health in which scientists will be trained in multidisciplinary aspects of disease development and risk assessment, including environmental chemistry, toxicology, and health. 

The Chair holder “Environmental Health and Toxicology” will:
• play a key role in department’s research programme on health effects by environmental contaminants. Interest in mixture toxicity is essential;
• play a central role in teaching in the BSc and MSc programmes of the FALW sections and further develop these programs;
• manage the group on Environmental Health and Toxicology;
• supervise and coach MSc- and PhD-students and postdocs;
• successfully acquire national and international research grants;
• plan and manage research projects and collaborations with academic, industrial and governmental partners;
• perform managerial tasks for the department and faculty;
• play an active role in local, national and international networks in this field.

The chair holder is expected to:
• have a PhD and a strong research and education background in environmental health with expertise in both environmental epidemiology and toxicology as demonstrated by well-cited publications in leading international peer-reviewed journals and books;
• have the potency and/or proven ability to contribute and acquire research projects and programs (nationally and internationally), including funding for PhD students and post-docs;
• be an inspiring and excellent leader and demonstrate strong collaborative capabilities, management, administration, and communication skills;
• be able to successfully work in a multidisciplinary and innovative research field;
• have an excellent track record and affinity with teaching and education;
• have a basic qualification in teaching for Dutch universities ('BKO'), or is willing to follow this course after appointment;
• be fluent in English and to acquire (if appropriate) knowledge of the Dutch language after two years.

You can find information about our excellent fringe benefits of employment at www.workingatvu.nl, such as:
• remuneration of 8,3% end-of-year bonus and 8% holiday allowance;
• solid pension scheme (ABP);
• possibilities to save up holidays for sabbatical leave;
• minimum of 29 holidays in case of full-time employment;
• generous contribution (65%) commuting allowance based on public transport;
• discounts on collective insurances (healthcare- and car insurance);
• participation in Individual Choices model. 

The salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel, and depending on experience, range from a minimum of € 5334,- gross per month up to a maximum of € 9375,- gross per month based on a fulltime employment.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) is a leading, innovative and growing university that is at the heart of society and actively contributes to new developments in teaching and research. Our university has ten faculties, and provides work for over 4,500 staff and scientific education for more than 23,000 students.

Research at the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences (FALW www.falw.vu.nl/en/) focuses on life sciences, health sciences, environmental sciences, and earth sciences. FALW offers a range and high-quality BSc and MSc programmes. World-class teaching and cutting-edge research activities go hand in hand.

The FALW department of Environment & Health (E&H) has a vacancy for a Chair Environmental Health and Toxicology. The mission of E&H is to understand and inform the society on the environmental and human health risks of chemicals. The department is a unique combination of chemists, toxicologists and epidemiologists enables a holistic approach of environmental and human health topics. We develop methods for the discovery of emerging chemicals and focus our research on their environmental fate and toxicity, as well as their relation to human health. Next to that, we advise authorities on the risks of chemicals, teach young researchers (BSc and MSc programmes) as well as other laboratories.

About the chair
The central theme of the Chair Environmental Health and Toxicology is research from molecules to human disease. The Chair is uniquely positioned by forming a combination of human environmental epidemiology and mechanistic toxicology. The epidemiologic research will focus on early life exposure of chemicals and the associations with diseases and disorders in children and other life stages, as early exposure can cause late effects (e.g. obesity, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease). In addition to early life exposure, focus areas are critical windows of exposure and effect, associations between exposure and disease development, elucidation of mechanism of toxicity and disease development using various techniques (e.g. cohorts, in vitro, in vivo, omics), and toxicity profiling. The chair holder should further maintain and elaborate the Dutch LINC mother-child cohort.

The sections will move into the new state-of-the-art research building O|2 on the VU campus, clustering human life science groups of VU, VU medical center (VUmc) and UvA. The Chair is an important interface with other groups in the O|2 building working on molecular mechanisms, drug discovery, and human health, as well as with the medical centers. The Chair will further catalyze the current expertise in the translational domain by creating a bridge between molecular mechanisms, adverse health effects and patients. The Chair will strengthen epidemiology and molecular sciences at the VU.