PhD Researcher in Legal and ethical perspectives in data-driven technologies in healthcare

You have:

• (or are about to obtain) a master’s degree in law (with a focus on health law or technology law) or bioethics /philosophy. A background in both philosophy / bioethics and law is an advantage.
• interest (and ideally experience) in conducting multi-method empirical and legal research;
• interdisciplinary interest in issues on the intersection of law, ethics, and technology (bridging technical, ethical, and legal domains);
• experience with conducting academic research and academic writing in English;
• demonstrable team working skills;
• excellent command of English, both orally and written;
• interest in broader dissemination of your research findings in the public debate.
• familiarity with EU regulations (AI Act, MDR, GDPR & EHDS) is an asset;
• experience with stakeholder engagement (e.g. interviews, focus groups, Delphi studies) is an asset.

You will become a team member of the Law Centre for Health and Life based at the University of Amsterdam’s Law Faculty. Within the Law Centre for Health and Life, you will join the Digital Health & Genomics research group, an interdisciplinary research group consisting of researchers from different academic backgrounds. There are multiple PhD candidates working at the Centre on various projects. You will be invited and expected to actively contribute to the academic life of the Centre, Faculty and University.

We are inviting prospective researchers to apply for a PhD position led by Dr. Mahsa Shabani. This position offers a unique opportunity to work on an interdisciplinary project at the intersection of law, ethics, and technology. The candidate will have the opportunity to shape their own research plan within the broader VIDI project. 

You have:

• (or are about to obtain) a master’s degree in law (with a focus on health law or technology law) or bioethics /philosophy. A background in both philosophy / bioethics and law is an advantage.
• interest (and ideally experience) in conducting multi-method empirical and legal research;
• interdisciplinary interest in issues on the intersection of law, ethics, and technology (bridging technical, ethical, and legal domains);
• experience with conducting academic research and academic writing in English;
• demonstrable team working skills;
• excellent command of English, both orally and written;
• interest in broader dissemination of your research findings in the public debate.
• familiarity with EU regulations (AI Act, MDR, GDPR & EHDS) is an asset;
• experience with stakeholder engagement (e.g. interviews, focus groups, Delphi studies) is an asset.

You will become a team member of the Law Centre for Health and Life based at the University of Amsterdam’s Law Faculty. Within the Law Centre for Health and Life, you will join the Digital Health & Genomics research group, an interdisciplinary research group consisting of researchers from different academic backgrounds. There are multiple PhD candidates working at the Centre on various projects. You will be invited and expected to actively contribute to the academic life of the Centre, Faculty and University.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact by email: Dr. Mahsa Shabani, [email protected]

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application consisting of the documents listed below. Please apply online via the apply button. We will accept applications until 30 November 2026. We hope the candidates will start their position per 1 January 2027.

Please note that it is only possible to upload two documents, therefore please combine the required files in two (PDF) documents.

File 1

• Motivation letter (maximum one page);
• a CV of no more than three pages;
• An initial research plan including a research question related to one of the topics, justification on why it warrants investigation, and propose a methodology to answer the question, and a potential reference list (in no more than 800 words, excluding references)
• writing sample of a recently written, single authored manuscript (e.g., your master’s thesis or other work written during your degree) in English of no more than 30 pages.
• Contact information of two academic referees
  
  

File 2

• Copies of the LL.B. and LL.M. degrees or equivalent, providing information about the program's length, content, passed courses and grades.
• If you choose to upload your documents differently, you run the risk that the files are rejected for being too big or that we miss part of your application.
  
  

We offer you the opportunity to work in an intellectually stimulating and teamwork-oriented environment. We aim to provide tailor-made and careful supervision with the main goal of helping you grow and flourish academically and professionally. You have the opportunity and obligation to participate in the Amsterdam Law School’s PhD training program.

We offer a position for 1.0 FTE (38 hours/week) as a PhD student. The initial appointment is for 1 year with a trial period of 2 months. After a positive evaluation, your appointment will be extended for another 3 years. The start date will be determined by mutual agreement; it is currently scheduled around 1 January 2027.

Your salary ranges from €3,204 (in year 1) to €4,051 (in year 4) based on a 38-hour working week. This amount excludes 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The CAO Nederlandse Universiteiten (CAO NU) applies.

We offer you the opportunity to work in an intellectually stimulating and teamwork-oriented environment. We aim to provide tailor-made and careful supervision with the main goal of helping you grow and flourish academically and professionally. You have the opportunity and obligation to participate in the Amsterdam Law School’s PhD training program.

We offer a position for 1.0 FTE (38 hours/week) as a PhD student. The initial appointment is for 1 year with a trial period of 2 months. After a positive evaluation, your appointment will be extended for another 3 years. The start date will be determined by mutual agreement; it is currently scheduled around 1 January 2027.

Your salary ranges from €3,204 (in year 1) to €4,051 (in year 4) based on a 38-hour working week. This amount excludes 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The CAO Nederlandse Universiteiten (CAO NU) applies.

Artificial intelligence and genomics technologies are transforming healthcare, offering powerful tools for diagnosis and treatment. Yet, these innovations often fail to serve diverse populations fairly, which can reinforce existing inequalities. Current regulatory frameworks lack a comprehensive approach to fairness, often focusing narrowly on anti-discrimination measures while overlooking broader socio-ethical considerations. This PhD project would focus on building a multidimensional conception of fairness in medical AI and genetics, integrating technical, clinical, ethical, and legal perspectives. The project will employ a combination of theoretical analysis and empirical studies (including focus group studies and Delphi studies) to assess the real-world implications of fairness in data-driven healthcare. The PhD project is within the NWO-VIDI project Fairness in Data-Driven Medical Technologies: Solidifying Regulatory Oversight Based on a Multidimensional Conception of Fairness. 

Artificial intelligence and genomics technologies are transforming healthcare, offering powerful tools for diagnosis and treatment. Yet, these innovations often fail to serve diverse populations fairly, which can reinforce existing inequalities. Current regulatory frameworks lack a comprehensive approach to fairness, often focusing narrowly on anti-discrimination measures while overlooking broader socio-ethical considerations. This PhD project would focus on building a multidimensional conception of fairness in medical AI and genetics, integrating technical, clinical, ethical, and legal perspectives. The project will employ a combination of theoretical analysis and empirical studies (including focus group studies and Delphi studies) to assess the real-world implications of fairness in data-driven healthcare. The PhD project is within the NWO-VIDI project Fairness in Data-Driven Medical Technologies: Solidifying Regulatory Oversight Based on a Multidimensional Conception of Fairness. 

• Design the scope of the individual PhD research project, and fine-tune the research questions and methodology together with the whole project team;
• Engage autonomously in - as well as collaborate on - the collection, coding and analysis of data, through doctrinal/literature research, conceptual analysis, focus groups and Delphi study;
• Present intermediate research results in internal discussions and at workshops and conferences;
• Contribute to project activities, such as organizing stakeholder meetings, academic events and outreach; and communication of research results to relevant communities of academics, practitioners and policy makers; and
• Optionally, and in mutual agreement with the project leader and in line with the teaching needs of the Health Law group, have teaching responsibilities.

• Design the scope of the individual PhD research project, and fine-tune the research questions and methodology together with the whole project team;
• Engage autonomously in - as well as collaborate on - the collection, coding and analysis of data, through doctrinal/literature research, conceptual analysis, focus groups and Delphi study;
• Present intermediate research results in internal discussions and at workshops and conferences;
• Contribute to project activities, such as organizing stakeholder meetings, academic events and outreach; and communication of research results to relevant communities of academics, practitioners and policy makers; and
• Optionally, and in mutual agreement with the project leader and in line with the teaching needs of the Health Law group, have teaching responsibilities.