Vacancy Postdoc for Developmental Psychobiology Lab

Job description

Prof.dr. Carolina de Weerth (Developmental Psychobiology Lab; Radboud University Medical Center) is looking for a Postdoc with a profound interest in early life and psychobiological determinants of development. You will be part of the dynamic DPB lab, that carries out innovative research focusing on uncovering how early environmental factors influence development, partly determining children’s further life trajectories.

The DPB lab specifically studies relations between prenatal and postnatal maternal and paternal stress and anxiety, as well as caregiving choices and quality, on children’s development, including physical health and behavioral regulation. The DPB lab includes relevant physiological systems and biomarkers to uncover the mechanisms underlying these relations (e.g., the intestinal microbiota, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, maternal milk, telomeres, epigenetic clocks).

You will be expected to collaborate on several of these projects, depending on background and interests. In addition, a specific project will be to investigate early predictors of intra-individual variability in cognitive performance of 5- and 9-year-olds that we have been following since pregnancy. This project will be carried out together with a PhD, whom you will also co-supervise. Finally, you will be encouraged and supported in career development tasks, e.g. grant-writing, conference presentations, workshop organization, networking. The Postdoc will be affiliated with the Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour and the Baby & Child Research Center.

The responsibilities of the position include:

• Developing and pre-registering research protocols.
• Preparing and submitting (medical) ethical applications.
• Supporting data collection.
• Data analysis and statistical analyses.
• Writing and dissemination of results in high quality journals.
• Presentation of findings at conferences and symposia.
• Training and supervision of PhD and (Research) Master students.

• A challenging position within a vibrant team of dedicated colleagues. Our collaboration is characterized by creativity, collegiality, teamwork, and responsibility.
• Being part of a dynamic, enthusiastic, collaborative, and ambitious research group specialized in early life, the Developmental Psychobiology Lab.

Place of work

For this position you will work at the Medical Neuroscience department of Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc). The Medical Neuroscience department is part of the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior ('the Donders'). The Donders is a world-class research network with over 1,000 scientists dedicated to advancing brain, cognitive, and behavioral sciences. The institute enables access to the most advanced research facilities, fosters interdisciplinary collaborations, and trains new generations of researchers.

Research into stress and stress-related disorders is an important area of ​​attention. In addition, you will belong to the Baby & Child Research Center, where child development is studied in children from conception onwards by four PIs and their research groups. Topics of research are the development of language, social interaction and cognition, and mental and physical wellbeing in parents and children.

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

Our ideal candidate has a PhD diploma in psychology, pedagogics, or similar study and strong affinity with the early life and middle childhood period.

In addition you possess the profile below:

• Excellent communicative skills.
• Strong statistical and writing skills.
• Fluency in spoken and written English; fluency in Dutch is an advantage.
• Excellent organizational and data management skills.
• A proactive attitude and eagerness to learn and develop academic skills.
• Independent working style.
• A collaborative spirit that flourishes within team science.

Employment conditions

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.
• From 1 July 2025 an increase in salary with 3%.
• 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 7 May 2025. We will then contact you shortly. The first job interviews takes place on Monday 12 May 2025. The second round interviews are on 19 May 2025. 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 email to prof. dr. Carolina de Weerth, full professor CNS. Use the Apply button to submit your application.