Are passionate about toxicology? Do you want to develop non-animal test methods to guide chemical safety assessment into the twenty-first century? Are you motivated to work in an interdisciplinary team of scientists embedded in an ambitions European research consortium? We have a PhD position that combines studies using in vitro testing with computational modelling at the chair group of Toxicology of Wageningen University. Are you the PhD student we are looking for?

What are you going to do?
We are looking for an enthusiastic toxicologist, biologist or biomedical scientist with an affinity for tissue culture, molecular biology, physiology, and kinetic modelling. You will study the toxic effects of natural contaminants and industrial chemicals found in food using intestinal and liver in vitro models. You will integrate in vitro toxicokinetic and toxicity data into physiologically based pharmacokinetic models (PBK) to extrapolate effect concentration in vitro to toxic doses in humans (an approach referred to as quantitative in vitro to in vivo extrapolation, QIVIVE). You will implement your excellent cell culturing skills and exploit molecular assays (i.e., routine cell biology and biochemical measurements, ELISA and confocal microscopy) in your mechanistic studies. You have a proven affinity with computational modelling and are familiar with using R. You will be embedded in the chair group of Toxicology of Wageningen University. As part of the chair group, you will also be involved in training MSc and BSc students. You will be co-supervised by Dr. ir. Hans Bouwmeester, Dr. Nynke Kramer.

About the project:
This project is part of the European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) project funded by the European Union to paving the way for the "zero pollution" ambition announced in the European Green Deal.

• an MSc degree (or equivalent) in life sciences or related field
• the ability to work well independently in the lab as well as enjoy working in a team
• a strong desire and ability to quickly master new (laboratory) techniques to effectively tackle complex, multidisciplinary scientific queries
• worked with the confocal microscope and advanced molecular biology techniques (e.g., cytotoxicity assays, omics) and you are familiar with R
• an excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page

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

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• 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 € 2.443,- per month rising to € 3.122,- 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

Wageningen University & Research
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, 7.200 employees and 13.200 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.

These are the points our employees list as good reasons to come work at WUR: read the 5 reasons to come work 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.