Vacancy Postdoc 'i-Care' researchline: 'personalizing care for depression and anxiety'

Job description

Are you dedicated to enhancing the care for individuals dealing with depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder? We invite you to be a part of our innovative 'i-Care' research team, where you will explore ways to provide more tailored support to these individuals.

You will work with outpatient data collected through Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMA) and wearables, linking these insights to clinical parameters in both existing and new datasets from patients receiving specialized mental health care (GGZ).

Currently, there is a significant gap in understanding how individuals are managing between therapy sessions. Many patients who have undergone treatment within GGZ often do not identify with the general questions used to measure their experiences and progress. By utilizing EMA and wearables, we aim to enrich mental health care, enabling therapists and patients to gain deeper insights into personal needs and behaviors. You will operate at the exciting intersection between mechanistic and applied mental health research. 

As part of the i-Care research team, you will collaborate with therapists, (inter)national researchers, and a (to-be-recruited) PhD student. The i-Care research line emphasizes teamwork, and we encourage the sharing and development of new research ideas. Alongside the planned ZonMW funded 'i-DETECT' study—focused on personalized detection of relapses in anxiety, depression, and related conditions— you will have the opportunity to contribute to develop your own research ideas. 

Key Responsibilities

• Apply state-of-the-art statistical analyses to existing data (including from the i-DETECT study) and report your findings in scientific articles.
• Collaborate with PhD students and master's candidates to design, analyze, and report personalized EMA studies with patients experiencing mental health challenges.
• Coordinate collaborative research projects.
• Support and mentor (PhD) students in their research.
• Actively participate in, and possibly organize, multidisciplinary research meetings.
• Collaborate with (inter)national researchers, a broader EMA network, and practitioners within the GGZ.
• Present research findings at (inter)national conferences, contributing to discussions on mental health care.
• Assist in the preparation of grant applications to secure funding for ongoing research initiatives.

Place of work

You will be working within the FitMind lab group led by Dr. Janna Vrijsen and the lab group of Dr. Nessa Ikani. i-Care partners include Radboudumc/Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Tilburg University, the Behavioural Science Institute of Radboud University Nijmegen, and the GGZ organization Pro Persona.

You will be based at Radboudumc for the first year. If performance is satisfactory, we intent to continue the position with a 2-year postdoc contract at Tilburg University. There is flexibility in your work location, including the option to work from home. Practically, you can make use of expertise and research facilities within the Radboudumc, Donders Institute, Tilburg University, Pro Persona and BSI. 

This rather unique position makes for a diverse team of researchers who are collectively able to translate fundamental insights to clinical innovations as well as questions arising in clinical practice to research designs. This translational approach to personalization of mental health is what we focus on. Currently, the FitMind research group (inital year at Radboudumc) consists of 2 postdocs, 12 PhD students, a research assistant and research nurse as well as students.

Radboudumc
Welcome to Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc), where our research groups strive for innovative solutions that make impact on health and healthcare. We challenge the status quo to overcome current and future health challenges. Our goal is to shape the future of healthcare for generations to come. Our focus is on prevention, sustainability, and meaningful care, which we achieve through our in-depth understanding of disease mechanisms, clinical science, public health research, medical technology and data science. Our approach is centered on breakthroughs that can truly enhance personalized healthcare and public health. 

At Radboudumc, a comprehensive range of research programs provide the compass for our research efforts. Each program has a clear goal, where collaboration within and outside our organization is highly valued. We integrate care, education and research in partnership with our patients to ensure that our research programs have significant impact on health and healthcare. We invite you to join us in our mission to create a healthy future for all.

Profile

You have obtained a PhD in the fields of psychology, behavioral sciences, health sciences, (bio)medical sciences, bioinformatics, computer science, or a related discipline. Candidates who are close to defending their dissertation are also encouraged to apply. You are a valued collaborator who can and wants to create enjoyment and cohesion within the research group, and you appreciate diversity and transparency.

Further you identify with the following profile:

• Experience working with ambulatory data in the context of behavioral or life sciences.
• Experience with and/or a strong interest in related (complex) statistical analyses, such as multilevel and computational models.
• Strong affinity for and proven experience in writing research articles.
• Excellent (English) conversation and presentation skills.
• Strong communication and social skills.
• Interest in mentoring (PhD) students.

Employment conditions

There is funding for a 3 years postdoc position. After 1 year at the Radboudumc and upon positive evaluation of performance and the collaboration, we intent to offer a 2-year postdoc contract at Tilburg University. At Radboud university medical center, you build on your future. We are committed to providing the best care, education, and research. And we are true to our word, because we help you develop and seize opportunities and give you the room to grow. As an employer, we believe that employees should feel vital and happy at work in all stages of life. We are also committed to creating a healthy and safe working environment. Our employment conditions contribute to that. What we offer:

• A gross monthly salary between € 3.493 and € 5.504 (scale 10) for full-time employment (36 hours per week). You will also receive an 8% holiday allowance, an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and, depending on the position, an allowance of 47% to 72% for working irregular hours.
• 176 vacation hours per year based on a 36-hour working week. 

And there is more..

• An Employment Conditions Selection Model, allowing you to use part of your employment conditions to your choosing. For example, you can use your gross salary to purchase additional vacation hours or hours for providing informal caregiving. Or, for example, you can use your gross end-of-year bonus to purchase a bicycle, so you pay less tax.
• Plenty of opportunities for personal development. You can take a variety of courses in our online learning environment. 
• Your well-being and vitality are a priority. For example:
  • Save time for work-life balance leave. 
  • You can enjoy unlimited access to a variety of activities five days a month and take advantage of all the facilities at Radboud Sport & Culture for only €27.05 per month (instead of €41)
  • Healthy Professionals program to help you manage your energy. 
  • Company Support Team and a personal coach if you are going through a life-changing event.
  • Financially beneficial working less through a Generation Scheme as you approach state pension age.
• Support in achieving a good work-life balance at every stage of your life. Examples:
  • Advice and courses on, for example, 'Millennial dilemmas' and 'Your Career After 57'.
  • Activities at our own mindfulness center.
  • Informal caregiving consultations if you have questions about juggling work and caregiving responsibilities at home.
• In addition to statutory pregnancy and maternity leave, Radboud university medical center offers 26 weeks of parental leave, nine of which are paid. In addition, as a partner you can take a maximum of five weeks of supplementary partner leave. During supplementary partner leave and parental leave, we supplement the UWV benefit up to 100% of your salary.
• Pension accrual at the ABP Pension Fund. Radboud university medical center pays 70% of the pension premium. 
• Discounts on supplementary packages of two group health insurances and ten other types of insurance, from home insurance to legal assistance.
• An allowance for your commuting costs of € 0.18 per km up to a maximum of 40 km one way. If you use public transport to commute, we will fully reimburse the public transport costs (2nd class). If you regularly work from home, you will receive a working from home allowance of € 2.40 per day.

Application procedure

Are you ready to think further for our patients and our care? We would like to receive your application before 25 March 2025. We will then contact you shortly. The job interviews takes place on April 4th 2025 in the morning. We would appreciate it if you would take this into account.

Good to know

• This position requires a Certificate of Conduct (VOG).
• You can find more information about our application procedure and frequently asked questions on our website.
• Will you be our new colleague? Then you will be given the time and space to get to know your role, your workplace, and your colleagues. An induction day for all new colleagues is an integral part of your onboarding program. 

We are recruiting for this position ourselves. Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated, but do feel free to share the vacancy in your network!

Contact

Any questions? Or wondering what it is like to work at Radboudumc? Then send an email to Janna Vrijsen, Associate Professor. Use the Apply button to submit your application.