Doctoral fellow – Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health

Last application date Oct 10, 2025 00:00

Department DI04 – Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health

Contract Limited duration

Degree Master’s degree in bioinformatics, bioscience engineering, applied statistics, biochemistry and biotechnology, or equivalent

Occupancy rate 100%

Vacancy type Research staff

About Ghent University

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.

With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

Job description

You will join the Laboratory of Integrative Metabolomics, an established research group with extensive experience in both experimental and computational metabolomics.
The current focus of the computational branch of our research group is on improving the data preprocessing pipeline for metabolomics, with a specific emphasis on data preprocessing of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) experiments (e.g., De Graeve et al. 2023, Analytica Chimica Acta; Vangeenderhuysen et al. 2023, 2025, Analytical Chemistry; Hughes et al. 2025, Analytical Chemistry). In your PhD research, you will continue this line of work, specifically by critically evaluating and further optimizing existing components of the preprocessing pipeline, such as peak detection, retention time alignment, and data normalization. This will help reduce structural sources of variability, thereby increasing the reliability and reproducibility of downstream analyses.
To achieve this, you will combine in-depth data analysis of both in-house and publicly available experimental datasets, along with simulated data to support systematic evaluation. Ultimately, you will develop innovative, user-friendly, and robust computational tools for metabolomics data analysis.
In addition, you will support the data analysis of our large-scale in-house generated experimental datasets, with a focus on research in human and veterinary health.
You will condense your findings in scientific publications and present your work regularly, both within the research group and at conferences, with the goal of ultimately obtaining a PhD degree based on this work.
Performing your work, you can count on the support and guidance of an experienced team of researchers (fellow PhD students, post-docs) and technicians, led by Prof. Lynn Vanhaecke.

Job profile

• You hold or will soon obtain a Master’s degree in bioinformatics, bioscience engineering, applied statistics, biochemistry and biotechnology, or equivalent
• You are interested in working at the intersection of bioinformatics, analytical chemistry, and biology
• Advancing the field through practically relevant and applicable computational tools is what motivates you
• You have demonstrable proficiency in R (or equivalent) programming for data analysis, visualization and statistical modeling
• You have at least basic competencies in using command line interfaces, database systems, web technologies, and version control, and are willing to expand skills as needed
• You have a basic knowledge of analytical chemistry, biology, and health sciences, and are willing to expand knowledge as required
• You have a strong motivation for high-quality scientific research, with a vivid interest in scientific programming and scientific writing, with the aim of obtaining a PhD degree
• You are motivated by a combination of (international) team and individual work
• You are fluent in written and spoken (scientific) English

What we can offer you

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which – after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start 01/10/2025 at the earliest.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

How to apply

Send your CV, copy of your diploma (if already in your possession) and a motivation letter to [email protected].
We do not accept late applications (deadline 10/10/2025). The position can be closed earlier if a suitable candidate is found before the application deadline.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact dr. Matthijs Vynck ([email protected]).