PhD Position in Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic Diseases
You have 20 more days to apply
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About your role
As a PhD candidate, you will explore how to personalize treatments for patients with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) diseases, including heart failure, type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Your research will center on innovative treatments that are reshaping CKM care, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g. Ozempic) and SGLT-2 inhibitors. By applying state‑of‑the‑art causal inference techniques to real‑world healthcare data, you will identify which patients benefit most from these treatments. The insights you generate hold the potential to improve patient outcomes, lower healthcare costs, and minimize side effects.
Your core responsibilities include:
- Investigating the real-world effectiveness and safety of novel treatments for CKM diseases.
- Collaborating with data scientists to apply advanced causal inference techniques to large-scale healthcare datasets (>20 million patients).
- Leveraging your clinical expertise to ensure findings are directly relevant to patient care and clinical practice.
- Presenting research findings at international conferences and publishing in high-impact journals.
- Working closely with leading researchers and institutions, including Karolinska Institute, UCSF, and Harvard, with opportunities to spend part of your PhD abroad.
About your workplace
You will join the CareMeds Lab (CArdio REnal MEtabolic Data Science) at the Department of Clinical Epidemiology. We are a multi-disciplinary and collaborative team with a clear mission: to improve care for patients with CKM diseases by combining high-quality data with cutting-edge methods. Our research has shaped more than ten international clinical guidelines (e.g. KDIGO 2023 guideline on CKD Evaluation and Management) and position statements, and is frequently published in high-impact journals (e.g. BMJ, European Heart Journal, Kidney International). Beyond clinical impact, we have inspired researchers to adopt novel causal inference methods such as target trial emulation across diverse fields. At the same time, we believe great science thrives in a friendly, informal environment and we enjoy regular social activities.
About you
You are a medical doctor (MD) with a strong interest in cardiology, nephrology, and/or endocrinology, and you are passionate about using research to improve patient care. You are eager to learn new methods, especially in causal inference and data science, and thrive in an international, interdisciplinary team environment. With your proactive mindset and collaborative spirit, you will contribute to the success of the project and the broader goals of optimizing patient outcomes.
Your qualifications and skills include:
- A medical doctor (MD) degree with a focus or interest in cardiology, nephrology, or endocrinology.
- A genuine passion for improving patient care through research and data-driven approaches.
- Eagerness to learn causal inference techniques and data science methods (coding experience is a plus but not required, training and supervision will be provided by Dr. Edouard Fu).
- Strong ability to work in an international, multidisciplinary team environment, collaborating effectively across different fields of expertise.
Our offer
Driven by health; that's our mission. This applies not only to our patients but also to our employees. We strive to provide a safe, inclusive and equitable work environment, with a focus on talent development and connected leadership. In order to be able to continue to learn and develop, we offer internal and external training. You are also entitled to an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), holiday allowance, sports budget, bicycle scheme, home office allowance and an excellent commuting allowance. Furthermore, as an employee of LUMC, you are also affiliated with the ABP pension fund. This means that 70% of your pension premium is paid by LUMC, leaving you with a higher net salary. Nice, right?
What do we represent?
As an academic medical center, LUMC strives to have a workforce that is a good reflection of society. We are committed to the highest quality in health care, education and (international) research, in which diverse perspectives are essential. Sustainability is also a high priority for us: we are committed to a healthy future, not only for people, but also for the planet. In line with these values, we aim to be a creative and inspiring place to work, where everyone feels at home, safe and valued. It's all about who you are and what you bring to contribute, regardless of your background. Together, we work toward a sustainable and inclusive future, both for the people around us and for the world we live in. Together, we are LUMC.
More information
- As a PhD candidate, your salary will be between €3,598 and €5,669 gross per month (scale 10, CAO UMC). These figures are based on a full-time position.
- The selection process consists of three rounds: the submission of a CV and motivation letter, followed by an in-person meeting to get acquainted with the project and the team at LUMC, and lastly a presentation on a scientific article (also attended online by the international members of the team).
- The employment will start as soon as possible (first quartile of 2026) and has a maximum duration of four years. The PhD position begins with a temporary appointment of one year. If progress is satisfactory, the contract will be extended to a total of four years.
- Applications from employment/recruitment agencies will not be considered.