PhD student Nutritional control of the gut brain axis

Background
The faculty of medicine and life sciences contributes to sustainable solutions for health-related issues as part of the civic Hasselt University. The faculty focuses on excellence in education and research and connects with society through strong collaborations with our partners. Starting from continuous attention for quality and innovation, the faculty is a breeding ground and magnet for talent with an open view on society, from the region to the world. 
The biomedical Reasearch Institute (BIOMED) at Hasselt University is a highly interactive and well-equipped multidisciplinary institute where both fundamental and applied research is performed to better understand the disease processes of (auto) immune, neurological and cardiac disorders. Within this stimulating environment, wer are looking for and enthusiastic PHD candidate to strengthen our team. 

Job content
Are you fascinated by the links between nutrition, metabolism, and brain health? Are you excited by the idea of translating fundamental science into real-world applications? Join our enthusiastic and multidisciplinary research team as a PhD student and help uncover how natural compounds influence inflammation and repair processes in the brain.
About the Project
Lipid metabolism plays a crucial role in immune cell regulation. Our research group focuses on how metabolic pathways — particularly lipid-related processes — shape neuroinflammation and repair, with the ultimate goal of developing nutritional and pharmaceutical strategies to promote brain health tissue repair within the central nervous system (CNS). Disruptions in these pathways are hallmarks of brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
In this PhD project, you will explore how bioactive compounds naturally present in fruits, such as polyphenols, affect gut function, immune cell behavior, and brain inflammation. The project is part of an interdisciplinary collaboration between BIOMED and the Chemistry and Biology Departments at Hasselt University, combining expertise in metabolomics, neuroimmunology, and compound identification.
What You’ll Do
– Identify and characterize fruit-derived bioactive compounds (e.g., polyphenols and other lipid modulators)
– Identify new therapeutic targets by investigating how these compounds affect metabolic pathways in immune and brain cells
– Study their effects on gut-brain-immune communication using:

PhD student.
We offer a 2-year contract, with the possibility of extension for 2 years after a positive evaluation.

Selection procedure
You can only apply online up to and including 19 August 2025.
The selection procedure consists of a preselection based on application file and an interview.

Further information
Prof. dr. Jerome HENDRIKS, +32-11-269207, [email protected]

For questions about the selection procedure, please email [email protected].