Clinics providing medical transgender care for youth are confronted with sharp increases in referrals within a context where critics have become more vocal, expressing concerns about decision-making ability of adolescents and the limited evidence base for the current care model.

This project will 1) investigate if childhood versus adolescent onset developmental pathways can be distinguished and whether these correlate with treatment outcomes, 2) gain insight into optimal decision-making processes in gender affirmative treatment for transgender adolescents, parents and health care providers and 3) integrate findings from aim 1 and aim 2 to co-create an optimal decision-making framework for transgender care for adolescents.

The project is a mixed-methods study consisting of three work packages.

As Postdoc researcher you will (while supervising a PhD and data-manager) focus on aim 1, using existing baseline data (n = 2000+) and newly collected follow-up data during treatment (1 year blockers and 1 year hormones) and in young adulthood (n = 600+), to examine whether certain baseline factors and/or developmental pathways or networks correlate with certain treatment outcomes. In addition to descriptive analyses, you will use data-driven approaches.

You will collaborate with the larger research team that includes a qualitative participatory approach. Your new quantitative data evidence combined with the normative ethical knowledge will lead to an optimal decision-making framework upon which an advanced adolescent transgender care model can be based.

Your main responsibilities are:

• Supervise the collection and storage of questionnaire data on the different time points (baseline, during treatment on blockers and on hormones, young adulthood)';
• Collaborate with qualitative researchers and be involved in design of research measures';
• Perform and supervise general descriptive mean-outcome group comparisons to evaluate the overall effectiveness of treatment (e.g., logistic regression analyses, serial ANOVA’s or MANOVA);
• Apply data driven approaches (e.g. a network approach) to gain insight into multivariate dependencies and generate hypotheses about putative relations among baseline characteristics, developmental pathways and treatment outcomes.

• A PhD in psychology, public health, medical science or a related field with a focus on methods/statistics;
• Affinity for statistics and quantitative data analysis;
• Experience or familiarity with network analyses is highly desirable;
• You are communicative, well organized, independent and willing to supervise;
• You are interested and open-minded about transgender adolescent care.

• A flying start to your research career.
• Plenty of room for your drive to shape tomorrow's transgender healthcare.
• Working on a unique cohort study , with motivated colleagues.
• Multiple chances for further developing your own research ideas and applying for further research grants.
• A full time contract for up to two years or a part-time contract for up to four years (conditional upon positive first year review and available finances).
• Classification in salary scale: 10, from 3.359 tot 5.292 Post-doc (depending on education and experience).
• In addition we offer an 8.3% end-of-year bonus and 8% holiday pay.
• Free and unlimited access to our online learning environment: GoodHabitz.
• Pension is accrued at the ABP. Amsterdam UMC contributes 70% of the premium.
• We reimburse 75% of you public transport commuting costs. Would you rather bike? We have a good bike arrangement in place.
• You can choose to participate in the active staff association, as well as the Young Amsterdam UMC association, which both organize fun activities and events.

Amsterdam UMC

The TANDEM project is led by Dr. Annelou L.C. de Vries (Annelou L. C. de Vries (amsterdamumc.org)) and is based in VKC Psyche, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria (CEDG) at Amsterdam UMC, Location VUmc in the dynamic and vibrant city of Amsterdam. The Center has an interdisciplinary team of approximately 100 employees, including nursing consultants, medical administrative employees, psychiatrists, medical psychologists, pediatricians, endocrinologists, gynecologists, physician assistants and surgeons.

It is the leading center for gender-affirming care in the Netherlands and worldwide, known for both its influential model of care and cutting-edge research. Research of the CEDG Amsterdam has delivered important and relevant evidence for transgender care guidelines since its inception. The CEDG has also strong connections with transgender advocates and self-support organizations who will also be part of this project.

Apart from the affiliation with the VKC psyche and CEDG, the project is embedded in the research institute Amsterdam Public Health (APH) and their Methodology program.