Postdoctoral Researcher in Neuropsychiatric Genetics

The Mental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute (MHeNs) at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), Maastricht University, is recruiting a postdoc for a 3-year position to work on its strategic collaboration projects and initiatives with Cardiff University’s Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. This programme is embedded in the internationally leading activities in neuropsychiatric genetics, genetic epidemiology and genetic imaging on which both institutes have been collaborating for more than a decade (for example in the consortia Genes to Mental Health, https://genes2mentalhealth.com/, Youth-GEMs, https://youth-gems.eu/, and STREAMLINE, https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/streamline).

The post-holder will conduct research and innovation within the context of our strategic collaboration programme in neuropsychiatric genetics, particularly in the areas of genetic epidemiology, translational genetics, gene x environment interactions and/or neuroimaging. The post-holder will develop their own research programme but also support the wider strategic aims of the collaboration, for example through preparation of joint funding applications, and be actively involved in the supervision of PhD candidates.

Specific tasks include:

• Conduct internationally leading research in neuropsychiatric genetics and adjacent areas of epidemiology and/or neuroscience.
• Contribute to the development of jointly curated data repositories and pipelines for integrated multi-omics analysis.
• Work proactively across both organisations (including regular visits to Cardiff) and engage with academics on both sides to prepare consortium applications (e.g., for Doctoral Training Networks).
• Prepare applications for personal grants/fellowships, for example in the Marie Curie NWO Talent programmes.

The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator and team worker and fulfil the following criteria:

• PhD in neuroscience, medicine, psychology, genetics or another relevant discipline.
• Excellent understanding of methods of genetics, epidemiology and neuroscience.
• Excellent computational skills.
• International experience and interest in international collaboration.

As a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale 11 according to UFO profile Researcher, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €4492,00 to €6148,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 36 months with a scope of 1.0 FTE.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Professor David Linden, Scientific Director of MHeNs at david.linden@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information.

Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new Postdoctoral Researcher in Neuropsychiatric Genetics? Apply now, no later than 12 September 2024, for this position. The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.