项目介绍

2025年3月10日

PhD candidate on diagnosis and antimicrobial resistance of sexually transmitted infections, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, CAPHRI – Department of Medical Microbiology.

Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise! To stop transmission, developing innovative diagnostics and monitoring of antibiotic resistance are crucial. Apply to investigate this in a dynamic multidisciplinary environment!

Job Description

We are recruiting a PhD student to develop, evaluate and implement diagnostic near-patient methods for detection of sexually transmitted infections. In addition, you will contribute to research on the monitoring of novel variants and antimicrobial resistance in different micro-organisms causing sexually transmitted infections. For this work we collaborate with a large group of national and international partners. 

The project is situated in the setting of the national reference laboratory for Chlamydia  trachomatis, which is hosted by Maastricht University Medical Center. The work is performed in close collaboration with researchers from the Public Health Service South-Limburg (GGD Zuid-Limburg) and the Living Lab Public health and is part of a long-standing joint line of research on sexually transmitted diseases. The collaboration with the public health service ensures a stimulating environment and complements some of the more fundamental aspects of the project with opportunities for direct application of the findings in clinical practice. Furthermore, you will have close interactions with other researchers and PhD students working on complementary projects both at MUMC, the Public Health Service South-Limburg and the RIVM. 

The project is embedded in the research school CAPHRI, allowing you to follow courses and trainings and to present your work in a transdisciplinary setting. Finally, as part of the PhD project you will participate in all other aspects of an academic workplace, such as teaching and presenting your work at (inter)national conferences. 

Requirements

We are looking for a talented and ambitious PhD candidate with initiative, motivation and endurance. The project is solidly anchored in the medical microbiological laboratory, but also directly involves and impacts daily practice of for example sexual health clinics. It is therefore essential to this project that you enjoy working in a highly transdisciplinary setting. 

You should have: 

• A MSc degree (or equivalent) in a relevant Life Science discipline: (medical) biology, microbiology, biomedical sciences. 
• Strong interest in microbiology and antimicrobial resistance. 
• Interest in developing and evaluating innovative (molecular diagnostic) methods. 
• You are organized and have good multi-tasking skills. 
• You are interested in both fundamental as well as in applied research. 
• You have excellent communicative skills and are open-minded to a wide range of settings. 

What we offer
As PhD candidate on diagnosis and antimicrobial resistance of sexually transmitted infections at Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary from € 2901,00 in the first year and € 3707,00 gross per month in the fourth year (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow.  
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model. 
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students. 
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as ‘acknowledge and appreciate’. 
   

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?
At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM. 

Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences
At the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), everything revolves around healthy living. Our research and education are not solely focused on recovery, but place a strong emphasis on prevention, health preservation, and health promotion. Our aim is to use our knowledge and expertise to genuinely contribute to the well-being of individual people as well as society in total. 

In, research, and healthcare, FHML is closely collaborating with the academic hospital in Maastricht, together forming the Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+).  FHML is strongly connected in education, research, and care with the Maastricht academic hospital, together with which it forms the Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+). 

FHML, which is the largest faculty of Maastricht University, is formed by an (inter)national community of employees and students. The faculty offers a wide range of Dutch and English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs in innovative educational concepts in which the emphasis is always on building bridges to practice.
 

The multidisciplinary research of the FHML focuses on a number of carefully chosen topical current themes. In addition to research aimed at gaining new insights, it also concerns research whose results can be directly translated into concrete applications and innovations. The implementation of the various research programs is organized in our six graduate schools and two institutes.

 
Department
CAPHRI – Care and Public Health Research Institute 
Department of Medical Microbiology 

CAPHRI works towards better health for everyone through innovative solutions for healthcare and public health care. CAPHRI builds bridges between science and society by conducting research with an inclusive and participatory approach. The research focuses on prevention and innovation ranging from public – and primary health care, to person-oriented long-term care. 
Our research has a strong multidisciplinary approach with attention to local, regional and global  themes embedded in six research lines: Ageing and Long-Term Care, Creating Value- Based Health Care, Functioning, Participation and Rehabilitation, Health Inequities and Societal Participation, Optimising Patient Care; and Promoting Health and Personalised Care. 
Working at CAPHRI means being engaged in an active and inspiring academic setting and making a real contribution to the improvement of care and public health. CAPHRI attracts top scientists from around the world and is known for its comprehensive PhD training programme for young talented scientists. www.caphri.nl (hyperlink naar: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/research/care-and-public-health-research-institute) 

The Department of Medical Microbiology has a strong focus on clinical diagnostics and scientific research in the fields of sexually transmitted diseases (STD), antimicrobial resistance, molecular typing and the human microbiome. You will be part of the STD group, an international group of PI’s, post-doctoral fellows, PhD students and research technicians. 
Our research group has strong links with clinical departments within the Maastricht UMC+ as well as the Public Health Service South-Limburg, many (inter)national collaborations with academic and industrial partners. The lab has the largest facility for STD diagnostics in Limburg and has access to all state-of-the-art technology needed for both diagnostics and research, such as highly automated sample testing, real-time PCR as well as molecular typing and next-generation sequencing facilities.

Curious?
For questions about this position please contact: Petra Wolffs, p.wolffs@mumc.nl

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD candidate on diagnosis and antimicrobial resistance of sexually transmitted infections? Apply now, no later than March 27, 2025 for this position.
 

Please upload your CV, motivation letter, grade list, contact information of 2 referees.

Letter selection will take place in the first week of April 2025.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.