Population Studies in Oral Health (PSiOH) focuses on preventing and controlling oral diseases, promoting lifelong oral health and improving the quality of life through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations (both public and private), communities and individuals.
The research group is part of the department of Oral Health Sciences (OHS) in the group of Biomedical Sciences at KU Leuven.
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Project
A healthy mouth is an integral part of a healthy body. Given the significant burden of disease associated with oral conditions, both the WHO and the Flemish Government have made oral health a priority. Consequently, a paradigm shift is needed from, curative to preventive oral care, and from the dental office to a broad collaboration on oral care involving a wide range of healthcare providers and other stakeholders (e.g., caregivers, teachers, etc.). People end up in hospitals because they are (temporarily) less able to care for themselves, which puts their oral hygiene and thus their oral health at risk. There are also patients whose oral health influences their illness, treatment, and recovery. High-quality patient care requires integrated oral care, especially for these individuals.
The goal of this doctoral research is to evaluate oral care within the hospital setting. Based on this evaluation, you will develop and evaluate methodologies to promote oral health among hospital patients.
Profile
- You hold one of the following qualifications:
- Doctor of Medicine
- Dentist
- Paramedic with an additional master’s degree
- Dental hygienist or nurse with an additional master’s degree
- Master’s degree in Human or Biomedical Sciences
- You achieved honours during your studies. Please include a transcript of your final-year grades with your application.
- You have an excellent command of Dutch and a good command of English (both spoken and written).
- You have experience in academic literature research.
- You have an academic and fluent writing style. Please include any published articles with your application, if applicable.
- You are familiar with basic statistics. Knowledge of conducting statistical analyses in SPSS is a requirement. Experience with quantitative analysis using statistical software is a significant advantage.
- You are willing to develop skills in both quantitative (e.g. developing and analysing questionnaires) and qualitative (e.g. focus group discussions) research methods. Experience in this area is an advantage.
- You are able to convey knowledge in a pleasant and clear manner.
- You are curious and fascinated by the research topic.
- You are sociable and have good interpersonal skills.
- You have an analytical mind and are able to bring structure to a wealth of information.
- You are a constructive team player who is open to multidisciplinary consultation and feedback.
- You can work independently, demonstrate a sense of responsibility, and possess good organisational skills, meaning that tight deadlines are not a problem.
Offer
We are offering a full-time position for a period of four years, starting on 1 October 2026. The research must culminate in a doctoral thesis after four years. Our dynamic, multidisciplinary and professional team will support you in carrying out your research and obtaining your doctoral degree.
Research group Populations Studies in Oral Health
Interested?
Interested candidates should submit:
A detailed CV
A motivation letter (in English) describing research interests, suitability for the project, and relevant competences
Academic transcripts from BSc and MSc degrees
Contact information for at least two academic references (recommended)
For further information, please contact Prof. Joke Duyck (email: [email protected]) using the subject line: 'PhD application'.
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