项目介绍

2026年4月18日

Background and Challenge

In healthcare, numerous “multi-disease tests” are quickly appearing. They aim to identify multiple diseases using one blood sample or medical image. These tests can find diseases early, before symptoms develop. However, they often produce false positives, indicating disease when none is present. Although methods exist to balance early diagnosis benefits and false positive risks for single disease tests, such methods are not available for multi-disease tests.

In the MERIT project, we will develop new quantitative appraisal methods for multi-disease tests. See link. These methods will guide policymakers and physicians in making informed choices about acquiring and applying these novel tests. Through this research, you will contribute to the healthcare of the future and positively affect the lives of thousands!

Job description

We seek two highly motivated PhD candidates for this project, one at the University of Twente and one at the Amsterdam UMC. This vacancy is for the position at the University of Twente, within the innovative Health Technology and Services Research (HTSR) section at the Faculty of Behavioural Management and Social Sciences. This section includes about 35 researchers and focuses on personal and professional growth. There is also ample opportunity for social interaction. In this project, you will work with partners at Amsterdam UMC and Radboudumc. You will start by building on existing methods for evaluating single tests. Then, you will create a framework for health and economic evaluation of multi-disease tests, and test this using AI applications in radiology as a practical case study.

Your profile

You are an enthusiastic researcher driven by curiosity and:

• Have an affinity with statistical or mathematical modeling, and (some) programming experience, preferably in R or Python;
• Have, or will shortly acquire, a quantitative master’s degree (for example, in Health Economics, Econometrics, Technical Medicine, Industrial Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Applied Mathematics/Statistics, or Computer Sciences);
• Enjoy working in an interdisciplinary environment;
• Possess good communication skills and are proficient in English, both spoken and written. Dutch proficiency is not required but considered an advantage.

Our offer

• A full-time position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, and the flexibility to work (partially) from home.
• Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU).
• You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 3.059 (first year) to € 3.881,- (fourth year)
• There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme.
• A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis.
• Free access to sports facilities on campus.
• A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid).
• You will have a training programme as part of the Twente Graduate School where you and your supervisors will determine a plan for a suitable education and supervision.

Information and application

Please submit your application using the “Apply now” button, and include:

• A cover letter of at most 1 page A4, explaining your motivation for the application, and why you qualify for this project;
• A Curriculum Vitae, including a list of all courses attended and grades acquired, and, if applicable, an overview of publications, as well as up to three references;
• Applicants holding qualifications from outside the Netherlands and lacking secondary or higher education in English must provide an IELTS score of at least 6.5, an internet TOEFL (TOEFL-iBT) score of 90 or more, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE) certificate.

This vacancy will remain open until July 5, 2026, at the latest. Upon receiving applications, potentially suitable candidates will be invited for an interview, and the vacancy will be closed as soon as a candidate has been found.

Additional information about this position can be acquired via email from Prof.Dr. Erik Koffijberg (h.koffijberg@utwente.nl, from April 28th onwards) or from Prof.Dr. Mariska Leeflang (m.m.leeflang@amsterdamumc.nl).