The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Antwerp in the framework of the European collaborative project ND4ID (New diagnostics for Infectious Diseases) is seeking to fill a full-time vacancy for a Doctoral student in the Department of Medical Microbiology.

The candidate

Job requirements:

• to prepare a doctoral thesis in the field of Medical Sciences. The core of the topic is antimicrobial heteroresistance which will be addressed by a combination of microbial and molecular techniques.
• to contribute to teaching and research in the lab of Medical Microbiology.
• to actively participate in the network-wide training program of the ND4ID project, building up knowledge on all aspects of the diagnostic development process and to transfer that knowledge to people within and outside the organization.

The work fits into the development of rapid phenotypic diagnostic tests targeting antimicrobial resistance.

Profile of the candidate:

• holds a master degree the following or related fields: Medical or Natural Sciences Bioscience engineering / Medicine / Biochemistry / Molecular Biology.
• has strong molecular biology and microbiology knowledge.
• has  an interest in the clinical, biotechnological and engineering aspects of diagnostic development and eagerness to learn and interact in a multidisciplinary team to identify and solve problems.
• is able to work independently (planning and executing experiments).
• has creativity to think out-of-the box to enable solutions to be tested.
•  posses strong and proven knowledge of the English language is a must.
• is willing to travel.
• shall be at the time of recruitment be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of her/his research career and have not been awarded a doctoral degree.

Mobility rule: at the time of recruitment, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date.

Department of Medical Microbiology offers:

• a challenging job in an exciting environment, working in a world-class microbiology lab;
• a doctoral scholarship for a period of 1 year, extended to 4 years after a positive evaluation;
• being part of a multidisciplinary group of early stage researchers through the ND4ID program. In total 15 researchers in various research institutes throughout Europe will be part of this program, each investigating a major hurdle in current diagnostic development;
• the opportunity to obtain a PhD. At the start of the project, a personal mentor will be assigned and a career development plan will be jointly developed;
• an extensive network-wide training program through the ND4ID project, consisting of 6-monthly workshops, lectures, challenges and hands-on training sessions covering clinical, technological, ethical, regulatory and commercial perspectives on the development of IVDs for infectious diseases;
• a gross monthly grant ranging from € 2.324,20 – € 2.469,08;
• the possibility of receiving a mobility allowance and/or a family allowance, based on the specific situation of the candidate.