PhD student in Health Data Science

Job description

The Department of Medical Informatics at Erasmus MC invites applications for a full-time PhD position at the forefront of AI-based pharmacovigilance and healthcare. You will join our innovative, multidisciplinary team engaged in international collaborations, including the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI, https://ohdsi-europe.org) initiative, dedicated to bring out the full value of observational health data through the OMOP Common Data Model and large-scale analytics.

This PhD project focuses on methods development to support pharmacovigilance using real-world data (RWD). You will define, implement, benchmark, and validate workflows for reliable detection and validation of safety signals across observational data networks.

Key research areas may include:
- Developing and evaluating AI-solutions in line with responsible AI principles (e.g. robustness, fairness, interpretability) to ensure equitable performance across diverse populations and compliance with regulatory expectations.
- Advancing methods for personalized risk assessments, with a focus on sex/gender differences and vulnerable subpopulations (e.g. pregnant women, children, elderly) to improve safety monitoring and interventions. 
- Assessing the effectiveness of AI-supported pharmacovigilance when applied across multiple RWD sources.

Throughout your research, you will address challenges in large-scale, federated observational studies and contribute to the advancement of signal detection and evaluation methodologies within a leading international research environment.  

Work environment

At Erasmus MC, we are dedicated to fostering a healthy population and achieving excellence in healthcare through pioneering research and outstanding education. Our institution prides itself on conducting groundbreaking research, pushing boundaries, and setting new standards in medical science, education, and patient care.

The Health Data Science group (https://www.healthdatascience.nl) within the Department of Medical Informatics (https://www.erasmusmc.nl/en/research/departments/medical-informatics) specializes in unlocking the potential of routine healthcare data and plays a central role in building and coordinating EU-wide and global federated data networks. Our projects offer PhD candidates the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge developments alongside leading experts. Supervision and mentorship for this PhD position will be provided by Dr. Aniek Markus and Prof. dr. ir. Peter Rijnbeek, each bringing a wealth of expertise and experience in the field.

Joining our team means becoming part of an inspiring and supportive (open-science) community, committed to making meaningful contributions to the future of healthcare.

All questions regarding this vacancy should be directed exclusively to the colleague listed under “More Information”. They are fully responsible for handling inquiries and managing the entire application process.

Qualifications and skills

- You hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field such as the Natural Sciences (e.g., mathematics, physics, biology, statistics), Computer Science, Medical or Health Informatics, Econometrics, or Data Science (or a closely related discipline).
- You have a strong interest in AI/machine learning, data mining, regression analysis, responsible AI, causal inference, and programming (R/Python, SQL). Moreover, you are driven to apply these methods to real-world data to improve healthcare. 
- You are highly motivated, have a proactive attitude, and are able to take initiative in assigned tasks.
- You have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
- You enjoy working in interdisciplinary teams with clinicians, pharmacoepidemiologists, and data partners within international consortia.
- Pharmacovigilance knowledge is not required, but is considered a plus.

All questions regarding this vacancy should be directed exclusively to the colleague listed under “More Information”. They are fully responsible for handling inquiries and managing the entire application process.

All questions regarding this vacancy should be directed exclusively to the colleague listed under “More Information”. They are fully responsible for handling inquiries and managing the entire application process.

Before you apply please check our conditions for employment.

Terms of employment

• You will receive a temporary position for 4 years.
• The gross monthly salary amounts a minimum of € 3217 and a maximum of € 4220.
• Excellent fringe benefits, such as a 13th month that is already paid out in November and an individual travel expense package.
• An International Office which aids you in preparing for you arrival and stay.
• Pension insurance with ABP. We take care of approximately 2/3 of the monthly contribution.
• Special benefits, such as an incompany physiotherapist and bicycle repairer. And there is also a gym where you can work on your fitness after work. 

All questions regarding this vacancy should be directed exclusively to the colleague listed under “More Information”. They are fully responsible for handling inquiries and managing the entire application process.

More information

Make this job your next career move! Apply now using the application button. It all starts with taking action.

Do you have questions about the role? Feel free to reach out to Dr. Aniek Markus via mail, a.markus@erasmusmc.nl.

Only complete applications can be taken into consideration; incomplete submissions will be rejected. To apply, please provide the following:
- Up-to-date resume.
- Motivation letter (maximum of 1 page).
- A copy of your (master) thesis, internship report or equivalent.
 

No agencies please.