PhD: Contribution of Real-World Data Studies for Approval of Oncology Medicines

Are you interested in investigating how data from clinical practice can contribute to regulatory decision-making about new oncology medicines and their availability for patients? Join us as a PhD candidate!

Your job
The position offers a diverse and interesting mix of responsibilities, including:

• conducting research into the role of data from clinical practice regulatory decision-making about new oncology medicines and their subsequent availability for patients;
• teaching (10%) in related courses in the Bachelor's and Master's programmes Pharmacy, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, or Drug Innovation.

The project aims to assess how real-world data, specifically from clinical practice, can contribute to approval of new oncology medicines in Europe. The findings will contribute to (future) drug development of oncology medicines and their subsequent availability for patients. In the project, you will learn to apply qualitative as well as quantitative research methods and collaborate with experts in the field of pharmacoepidemiology, drug regulation, (trial) statistics and oncology in order to learn and apply these methods. The vacancy is a collaboration between the Centres for Clinical Therapeutics and Pharmacoepidemiology of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology and part of the National Growth Fund Oncode Accelerator.

We are searching for a motivated and goal-oriented PhD candidate who would like to work in a multidisciplinary research environment in close interaction with stakeholders. Specifically, we are looking for a candidate who:

• has a background in clinical epidemiology or pharmacoepidemiology and affinity with (bio)medical or pharmaceutical sciences;
• has experience in working with real-world data (e.g., electronic medical records. Practical experience with data analysis (using R, SAS, Python, Stata, etc.) is a benefit;
• is driven and reliable and has a proactive attitude and organisational skills;
• enjoys working in a multidisciplinary teams and with relevant stakeholders;
• is fluent in English, both in speech and writing, and has experience with academic writing.

We offer:

• a PhD position for four years;
• a fulltime working week and a gross monthly salary between €2,901 and €3,707 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

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The Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS) is the research institute of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Utrecht University. UIPS focuses on processes around discovery, development, and use of drugs and medical nutrition using molecular and technological principles from the Natural and Life Sciences. This research is ideally positioned in the Faculty of Science to work on basic scientific problems and to translate new findings into potential solutions to urgent societal medical needs, which are addressed in the Faculties of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.

As a PhD candidate you will be employed in the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology. The division consists of a multidisciplinary team of young and internationally oriented researchers. The Centre for Clinical Therapeutics and The Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology are embedded in the division.

The Centre for Clinical Therapeutics is dedicated to studying the relationship between patients’ health and the use of medications. Our research and education aim to optimise the beneficial effects of pharmacotherapy while minimizing potential harm. Our work includes assessments of direct interactions between medications and patients and biomarkers thereof (clinical pharmacology), group-based approaches to understand which patients most likely benefit and why (clinical pharmacoepidemiology), and studies examining the impact of the context in which care and pharmacotherapy are provided (clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice research).

The Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology aims to apply, develop, improve, and evaluate innovative observational pharmacoepidemiologic methods to obtain reliable information on benefits and harms of medicines after marketing in real life. Methodological innovations are inspired by relevant research questions in clinical practice, pharmaceutical policy, and regulation. Important themes are methods to measure impact of interventions, to prevent and/or control for confounding, analysis of effect modification (precision medicine), multi-database analysis, and innovative approaches for increasing validity and richness of data.

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

If you are enthusiastic about this position, just apply via the 'apply now' button. Please enclose:

• your one-page motivation letter;
• your curriculum vitae of maximum two pages;
• the names, telephone numbers, and email addresses of at least two referees;
• a copy of your diploma, or a letter from your university stating when your graduation will take place.

If this specific opportunity isn’t for you, but you know someone else who may be interested, please forward this vacancy to them.