1 - Working at the VUB
For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike.
At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located.
Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again.
Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.
2 - Position description
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZB) are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to join the interdisciplinary FWO-SBO funded project ANTICIPATE (Artificial Intelligence and Epidemic Modeling to Prepare Hospitals for the Next Respiratory Pathogen with Pandemic Potential).
Project Overview
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical gaps in our ability to detect and respond to emerging respiratory viruses. ANTICIPATE aims to strengthen pandemic preparedness by developing AI-driven tools and epidemiological models to:
- Detect novel pathogens early through broad genomic screening and;
- Support hospitals in mitigating the impact of pandemics through optimized decision-making and data collection strategies.
The project brings together experts in artificial intelligence, epidemiology, health economics, molecular diagnostics, and public health. It is structured around six scientific work packages and three real-world use cases (UCs), with continuous input from a broad advisory board of hospitals, government agencies and healthcare organizations.
Scope of the PhD project: Evaluation of an extraction procedure and diagnostic platform
The PhD candidate will be jointly affiliated with the Department of Clinical Biology/Microbiology Diseases at UZ Brussel, Bioinformatics group at the VUB and the sequencing platform BRIGHTcore.
More concretely your work package, for the preparation of a doctorate, contains:
You will play a key role in the systematic evaluation of a novel AI-guided diagnostic platform for detecting known respiratory pathogens (e.g., influenza, norovirus, rhinovirus).
Responsibilities include:
- The evaluation of an extraction procedure performed on collected respiratory samples;
- The evaluation of a genomic diagnostic platform.
The balance between wet and dry lab is flexible and can be determined based on the candidate’s profile.
For this function, UZ Brussel will serve as your home base.
3 - Profile
What do we expect from you?
- You hold a Master’s degree in biomedical sciences, public health, biostatistics, epidemiology or a related field.
- You have a strong interest in infectious disease modeling, data-driven healthcare, and interdisciplinary research;
- You have experience with data analysis (e.g., R, Python) and/or clinical data management is a plus;
- You have excellent communication skills in English; knowledge of Dutch is an asset for working in a clinical setting;
- Your collaborative mindset and motivation contribute to impactful, societally relevant research.
You have not performed any works in the execution of a mandate as an assistant, paid from operating resources, over a total (cumulated) period of more than 12 months.
As a (non-)EEA national, meet the conditions for obtaining a valid permit for VUB and comply with the VUB residence requirements. More info here.
The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.
4 - Offer
Are you going to be our new colleague?
You’ll be offered a full-time PhD-scholarship, for 12 months (extendable up to max. 48 months, on condition of the positive evaluation of the PhD activities), within a dynamic and interdisciplinary research consortium with planned starting date 01/08/2026.
You’ll receive a grant linked to one of the scales set by the government.
IMPORTANT: The effective result of the doctorate scholarship is subject to the condition precedent of your enrolment as a doctorate student at the university.
At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.
As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:
- Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
- An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
- Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
- Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike;
- A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
- Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work (in all kinds of shops, on flights, in petrol stations, amusement parks...) and Ecocheques;
- Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps;
- The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
- And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.
5 - Interested?
Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?
Then apply, at the latest on 15/07/2026, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:
- your CV;
- your motivation letter;
- contact information for two references;
- your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni).
Our application process is as follows (subject to change):
- step 1: an initial selection based on your application file;
- step 2: a job interview.
Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Prof. Deborah De Geyter at [email protected].
Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.
Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance.
