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2 Postdocs “Exploring the interplay between Diet, Microbiota and ADHD”

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Location: Wageningen
Hours: 38
Function
We are looking for two enthusiastic and ambitious postdocs, one with a strong background in or affinity with child psychiatric and fMRI research, the other with a strong background in molecular biology and affinity with multivariate datamining. Both candidates should be particularly interested in the effect of food on brain, bowel and behaviour, with a specific focus on microbiota research. Candidates will be working together, as part of a consortium of professionals that will explore the link between the diet and ADHD. The consortium aims to unravel the impact of the brain-gut axis on ADHD, to explore the impact of diet on the brain, and to identify biomarkers that could be used to facilitate dietary interventions in children with ADHD.

The successful candidates would specifically focus on the above mentioned topics, would define the impact of food on ADHD in children, and would explore whether specific pathways, metabolites and microbes underlie any beneficial or adverse effects of food on the behaviour of children with ADHD. For each subject, fMRI will be carried out and various samples will be collected and analysed in laboratories of several third parties. The work is interdisciplinary and consists of writing research proposals for clinical trials, submitting these proposals, obtaining medical ethical consent, being involved in carrying out the trials, ensuring that samples are correctly collected and handled, receiving -omics data from third parties, integrating these data and identifying pathways, microbes and metabolites that may be involved in ADHD. The postdocs would thus function as the pivot of all disciplines involved.
Function Requirements
For these 2 positions we request:

  • A recent PhD graduate in Medical Science, Psychology or Biology.
  • Being able to design clinical trials and participate in performing these trials.
  • Expertise in data management and handling.
  • A critical, pro-active, analytic and out-of-the-box way of thinking. Personal input and ideas will be greatly appreciated.
  • A professional, reliable and organised method of working.
  • Excellent communication skills and being able to maintain effective working relationships with all parties involved (e.g. hospitals, laboratories, parents, children, colleagues).
  • The ability to write research proposals and to organise and supervise RCTs.
  • Well-developed scientific writing skills, as demonstrated by a record of peer-reviewed scientific publications.
  • Fluent in Dutch and English, both written and spoken.
Working conditions
We offer you a temporary position based on project activities for a period of 6 years. Should, however, these activities at any given moment be cancelled, this might imply termination of the contract.
Gross salary € 3.427,- to € 4.029,- maximum per month, based on a fulltime employment and dependent on expertise and experience.
We not only offer a competitive salary, but also a good pension of the ABP Pension Fund.

You can apply online at http://www.wageningenur.nl/career until 20 October 2016
Contactinformation
For more information about this position, please send an email to adhd@wur.nl
For more information about the contractual aspects, please contact Mieke van Laar, Senior Human Resources Advisor, telephone number +31 317 484 224 (mieke.vanlaar@wur.nl).
Organization
Two chair groups from Wageningen University and Research are involved: Host-Microbe Interactomics (HMI) and Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology (QVE).

Research of the HMI group ranges from work on the molecular mechanisms of diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria, to the interactions between pathogenic and beneficial bacteria and their human or animal hosts. The group combines expertise in cell biology, immunology, microbiology and functional genomics to further our understanding of the molecular interactions occurring in the cross-talk between microbes and their hosts.

The QVE group has, amongst others, a strong focus on study design and analysis of data related to (animal) disease and has been intensively involved in research into food and ADHD for the past ten years.

Wageningen University and Research delivers a substantial contribution to the quality of life. Within our domain, healthy food and living environment, we search for answers to issues affecting society and health. Every day, at WUR, 6,500 people work on ‘the quality of life’, turning ideas into reality.

 

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