PhD Candidate in Environmental Causes of Childhood and Early-Onset Cancer

Utrecht University is seeking a motivated PhD candidate to join the Molecular Epidemiology and Data Science group at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences. This position is part of the CUE-CAN project, an EU Horizon Cancer Mission initiative focused on uncovering environmental exposures linked to childhood and early-onset cancers. The successful applicant will perform advanced statistical and machine-learning analysis on large-scale internal exposome data derived from maternal blood samples. You will collaborate with an international team of epidemiologists, exposure scientists, and clinicians to integrate internal and external exposure data to better understand cancer etiology.

• Analyze untargeted LC-HRMS and GC-HRMS data to identify chemical signatures in maternal blood associated with cancer risk.
• Apply statistical and machine-learning techniques, including mixture models, to validate environmental risk factors.
• Integrate high-resolution exposure maps with study participant data and large Dutch registry cohorts.
• Synthesize internal and external exposome data to develop a comprehensive model of environmental cancer contributions.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including researchers at the Princess Máxima Center, to support experimental validation.
• Disseminate research findings through peer-reviewed publications and international conference presentations.