PhD: Learning interactions in collective cell migration

• Your profile should include:
• MSc Degree in Physics
• Preferably with a background in theoretical physics, statistical, soft or biological physics
• Experience with using inference/machine learning tools and basic programming is a plus

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

We offer guidance and help so you can develop the skills and experience to become an independent scientist. In addition, we offer an intellectually challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of minimum € 3.059,00 (PhD) and maximum € 3.881,00 (PhD) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile PhD candidate. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for at least 0.9 FTE.
• Your employment contract will initially last 1 year. Afterwards, the possibility of expansion exists.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge

Our theory group is a worldwide leader in studying the statistical physics of living systems. We currently have an opening for an Vici funded 4-year PhD position position. We seek to uncover the fundamental interaction rules that govern collective cell migration—a central biological process underlying development, immune responses, and cancer progression.

We are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate with an interest in combining non-equilibrium statistical physics, active matter physics, and statistical inference/AI to unravel how cell–cell interactions shape collective cell migration. A central goal of the project is to develop and apply data-driven theoretical frameworks that infer interaction rules directly from multicellular migration experiments. We therefore seek a candidate who is excited by rigorous statistical mechanics and data-driven modelling, and who is eager to use these approaches to understand how complex biological functions emerge from interactions between individual cells.

From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, from helium to the universe and from genetics to medicine: our education and research cover the full breadth of science, from molecules to mankind. Our academic education and research are highly experimental, technical and interdisciplinary in nature. That is why we collaborate extensively with leading scientific institutes and industry. The faculty has more than 8,000 students studying in one of the 39 programms and employs more than 1,400 staff across 10 scientific departments, making us one of the largest science faculties in the Netherlands.

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.  Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application.

Please send a cover letter (one page maximum), a curriculum vitae, a list of grades from your last higher education diploma, a publication list (if relevant) and the contact details of 3 references. All the documents must be written in English. The positions will remain open until filled.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.