Are you passionate about advancing the field of toxicology into the twenty-first century and designing a chemical safety assessment paradigm without animal testing? Do you wish to pursue a PhD degree in an ambitious team of scientists across the Netherlands and be part of the VHP4Safety research consortium?
We have a PhD position on the integration of in vitro cell-based and computational approaches to improve the toxicological risk assessment of chemicals in our Toxicology Division of Wageningen University. Are you the PhD candidate we are looking for?

WHAT YOU WILL DO
Imagine a world in which we perform precision safety testing of chemicals and pharmaceuticals without using laboratory animals. Imagine that the safety of chemicals and pharmaceuticals can be assessed for vulnerable groups such as infants, the elderly or the diseased. This is the vision of the VHP4Safety project, which aims to setup the world's first 'Virtual Human Platform' to determine the safety of chemicals for human health based solely on human biology. The VHP4Safety consortium consists of leading scientific groups from Dutch universities and research organizations, who are funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO, NWA-ORC 1292.19.272).

Within this project, you will develop physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models and in vitro assays to assess the accumulation potential of chemicals in the kidney. In so doing, you will ascertain what population groups are most at risk for developing kidney disease. Your research will be highly interdisciplinary, as you combine computational toxicology with molecular biology and analytical chemistry.

You will also be involved in the supervision of MSc thesis students joining the project.
The research is embedded within the chair Toxicology, which is led by Prof. Ivonne Rietjens. You will be co-supervised by Dr. Nynke Kramer, associate professor.

• you have an MSc degree (or equivalent) in toxicology, pharmacology, biology, chemistry or related field;
• you have excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page;
• you have a strong desire and ability to quickly master new (laboratory) techniques to effectively tackle complex, multidisciplinary scientific queries;
• you have a strong background in human physiology, and have experience with computational modelling, analytical chemistry, and cell culture;
• you work well independently.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.434,- per month rising to € 3.111,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU)(scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the Best University in the Netherlands for the 17th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

Wageningen University & Research

The Division of Toxicology is an enthusiastic and dynamic academic research group. Our research is performed by 4 academic staff members, 4 technical assistants, 4 post-docs and over 30 international PhD students. We have a strong international reputation in the field of toxicology. On the basis of a mechanistic understanding, relevant toxicological processes are translated into risk analyses for evaluation in human health and ecological processes. The Division of Toxicology actively contributes to globally relevant topics, such as alternatives to animal testing, human stem cell models, safety evaluation of food ingredients, biocides, nanotoxicology, contaminants in the food chain and the environment, and computational methods for toxicological risk assessment. Our education is embedded in the BSc/MSc programmes for Food Safety, Nutrition and Health, Molecular Life Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Biology and consists of a combination of lectures and practicals.

The mission of Wageningen University and Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.800 employees and 12.900 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.