Vacancy for a PhD student in drug safety (pharmacoepidemiology) The Netherlands / Denmark / United Kingdom

Utrecht University, Faculty of Science:
The new Faculty of Science consists of six departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information and Computing Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry and Mathematics. The Faculty is home to 3500 students and nearly 2000 staff and is internationally renowned for the quality of its research. The Faculty’s academic programmes reflect developments in today’s society.

The department of Pharmaceutical Sciences is responsible for teaching in pharmacy, and drug-related research. The division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacotherapy has currently a job opening for a PhD student in pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety.

Scope of the post:
Fulltime during 3 year (1.0 fte).

Salary:
The gross salary is according to the collective agreement of Dutch Universities, in the range between € 2000-€ 2500 per month.

Job description:
You will address the main question, why the potential risk of bone fractures is different between users of diabetes medication in Denmark, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. In addition, you will estimate the risk of fracture in patients with Multiple Sclerosis. The world’s largest medical databases will be analyzed, yielding the computerized medical data of approximately 20 million patients. The research project will hopefully result in new, better methods to evaluate side effects of drugs. You will be conducting statistical analyses (not too complex) and literature review. The results of your work will be presented at international scientific meetings, and will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The scientific publication will be the backbone of your
PhD thesis.

The job will be based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, close to Amsterdam and Schiphol airport. At least three months of the research project will be conducted in Denmark (Copenhagen/Aarhus). In this part, you’ll be supervised by a Danish endocrinologist / epidemiologist. There are exciting possibilities to conduct part of the research project in central London (at the UK General Practice Research Database). Partly working from home is another possibility of this project. You will be supervised by Dr. Frank de Vries, pharmacist/epidemiologist, Dr. Tjeerd-Pieter van Staa, medical doctor/epidemiologist, en Prof. Dr. Bert Leufkens, professor in pharmacoepidemiology.

Each year, approximately 16,000 patients sustain a hip fracture in the Netherlands. About 20% die within the year after the hip fracture. Scientists continuously monitor potential side-effects (such as hip fractures) of drugs that have been brought onto the
market.

Qualifications:
You have either a master degree in epidemiology, statistics, mathematics, or public health. Medical doctors or pharmacists, chemists or candidates with a higher degree in biomedical science or engineering are invited to apply as well. You have no difficulties with writing in English. You are proactive and reliable. You are able to prove that you have a working permit for at least the Netherlands and Denmark (both countries are part of the European Union).

Terms of employment:
The salary is supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 6,4% per year. In addition we offer: a pension scheme, a partially paid parental leave, flexible employment conditions in which you may trade salary for vacation days or vice versa. Conditions are based on the Collective Employment Agreement of the Dutch Universities. The research group will provide the candidate with necessary support on all aspects of the project.

Further details:
Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from Dr Frank de Vries: phone: +31(0)610004382 – f.devries@uu.nl

How to apply:
Please send your application (including a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae and contact details of at least two references) before 2 March 2009 to Dr Frank de Vries, f.devries@uu.nl.