PhD Candidate in Causal Learning and Inference for Nutrition and Biological Ageing

13 Mar 2025
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Wageningen University & Research

Research Field

Medical sciences

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Netherlands

Application Deadline

7 Apr 2025 - 22:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Hours Per Week

38.0

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Are you an aspiring researcher with strong skills in statistics, machine learning or data science and a keen interest in human nutrition and biological ageing? Would you like to contribute to multi-disciplinary research and develop new statistical methods for modelling human nutrition data? Are you eager to contribute to innovative research in the field of nutrition and biological ageing? Then we are looking for you!
The Statistics and the Human Nutrition groups at Wageningen University (WU) jointly offer a fully funded PhD position with special focus on methods development for causal discovery, causal inference and causal prediction to address challenges in the area of dietary intake and biological ageing.
The anticipated start date is as soon as possible, but no later than September 1, 2025. The PhD candidate will work at the intersection of statistics and human nutrition, developing and applying statistical methodologies for causal inference and discovery in both observational and experimental data. The goal is to advance our understanding of nutrition's role in ageing, particularly the relationship between dietary intake and biological ageing.
Project description
We invite highly qualified, thorough and self-motivated applicants to apply for this PhD position. The research will focus on causal discovery and inference, exploring methods such as causal discovery with temporal background knowledge and causal risk prediction. A solid understanding of basic causal inference or causal discovery is beneficial, along with experience in statistical programming and R development. Further using the statistical methods, you will analyse existing datasets to identify nutrients, food groups, and dietary behaviours—such as timing and location of intake—associated with decelerated biological ageing.
Daily supervisors:
Dr. Pol Grootswagers (Nutrition and Ageing) and Dr. Pariya Behrouzi (Statistics and Data Science)
Promoters:
Prof. Lisette de Groot (Nutrition and Ageing) and Prof. Fred van Eeuwijk (Statistics and Data Science)
Collaborator:
Dr. Guido Camps (Nutrition, AI and sensors)
Start: September 1st 2025 at the latest
Duration 4 years
Your key tasks as a PhD student are:

• carry out an independent research project under supervision;
• conduct research under joint supervision from both groups;
• complete PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to a minimum of 30 ECTS and a maximum of 45 ECTS (1 ECTS represents a study load of 28 hours);
• engage in dynamic research environments within both the Mathematics and Statistics (Biometris) group and the Human Nutrition & Health division;
• obtain experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project;
• write a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project.

Where to apply

Website

https://www.academictransfer.com/en/jobs/350125/phd-candidate-in-causal-learnin…

Requirements
Specific Requirements

You are/ You have:

• a MSc degree in statistics, machine learning, data science or a related discipline;
• a strong interest in human nutrition and biological ageing and enthusiastic in learning about the nutritional epidemiology;
• a motivated team player with excellent research skills;
• excellent writing and oral communication skills in English. Your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level . Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognized Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here .

The Teams involved
The Chair group of Statistics is part of Biometris . Biometris has a strong track record in applying statistics to life sciences in many national and international projects. We develop statistical and mathematical methods for the quantification of biological processes and processes in our living environment. These methods are applied and validated in practice and are often available as software packages. In addition, Biometris provides education at the undergraduate, Master, PhD, and Postdoc levels, as well as training and consultancy for industry. We cover a wide range of application areas, from human nutrition to epidemiology, from gene to ecosystem and from product to production chain. Our goal is to bring quantitative methods to life!
The Division of Human Nutrition & Health from the Nutritional Biology group is a world-leading institute in Nutrition Research. The research in Nutrition and Ageing is led by Prof. Lisette de Groot, who is a leading expert in the field of ageing. With our state-of-the-art Health Research Unit, you will have the full scale of biometric sampling and controlled feeding trials at your disposal.
In this multi-disciplinary setting, you will be supervised by Dr. Pariya Behrouzi (Statistics and Data Science) and Dr. Pol Grootswagers (Nutrition and Ageing). In addition, you will be co-supervised by Prof. Fred van Eeuwijk (Statistics and Data Science) and Prof. Lisette de Groot (Nutrition and Ageing).

Additional Information
Benefits

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment . A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.
The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901,- per month rising to € 3.707,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.
Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.
You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university " in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.
Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.
Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Selection process

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Pariya Behrouzi, pariya.behrouzi@wur.nl or Dr. Pol Grootswagers , pol.grootswagers@wur.nl .
Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Noorien Abbas , Corporate Recruiter, vacaturemeldingen.psg@wur.nl .
Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.
You can apply until 7 April 2025. We plan to have the first interviews on the 22nd and 23rd of April. We ask you to take this into account already.
To apply, please upload the following documents:

• Letter of motivation;
• Your CV;
• A brief outline of your research ideas related to the PhD project;
• Two references and/or support letters.

General information about Applied Mathematics and Statistics group can be found at https://www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Research-Institutes/plant-research/biometris.htm
and more information on Nutrition and Ageing can be found on https://www.wur.nl/nl/en/waardecreatie-samenwerking/chair-groups/agrote… .
Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:
https://forms.office.com/e/x4GaCsvu1E
Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.
Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

Additional comments

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Pariya Behrouzi, pariya.behrouzi@wur.nl or Dr. Pol Grootswagers , pol.grootswagers@wur.nl .
Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Noorien Abbas , Corporate Recruiter, vacaturemeldingen.psg@wur.nl .
Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.
You can apply until 7 April 2025. We plan to have the first interviews on the 22nd and 23rd of April. We ask you to take this into account already.
To apply, please upload the following documents:

• Letter of motivation;
• Your CV;
• A brief outline of your research ideas related to the PhD project;
• Two references and/or support letters.

General information about Applied Mathematics and Statistics group can be found at https://www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Research-Institutes/plant-research/biometris.htm
and more information on Nutrition and Ageing can be found on https://www.wur.nl/nl/en/waardecreatie-samenwerking/chair-groups/agrote… .
Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:
https://forms.office.com/e/x4GaCsvu1E
Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.
Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

Website for additional job details

https://www.academictransfer.com/350125/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Wageningen University & Research

Country

Netherlands

City

Wageningen

Postal Code

6708 PB

Street

Droevendaalsesteeg

Geofield

Contact

City

Wageningen

Website

http://www.wageningenur.nl

Street

Droevendaalsesteeg

Postal Code

6708 PB

STATUS: EXPIRED

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