Postdoctoral researcher 'Healthy Lifestyles through Data Science, Machine Learning and AI'

We are looking for an enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher to expand and strengthen research on "Healthy Lifestyle through Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI".

Are you excited about the opportunities that data science (especially reinforcement learning) offers for optimizing lifestyle interventions? Do you want to deepen your expertise in data science and behavior change? Do you want to contribute to innovative solutions that help people make healthier choices in their daily lives? And does working in an interdisciplinary team appeal to you? Then this position at Wageningen University might be just for you!

Function
For our research line on “Healthy Lifestyle through Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI,” we are looking for a postdoctoral researcher for a 3-year position. The appointment is for 0.75 FTE, with the possibility of adding additional teaching activities.

In this role, you will work closely with Dr. Monique Simons and Dr. Laura Winkens on developing, testing, and optimizing data-driven digital lifestyle interventions that help people make healthier choices. Behavior change is complex and requires adaptive interventions that dynamically adjust to an individual's behavior and context. These types of interventions are also known as Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs). This innovative intervention design involves creating algorithms and decision rules for the timing and manner of an intervention, based on real-time data, and tailoring the content and delivery method of interventions to individual preferences and needs.

In various projects, we focus on the development of JITAIs, including a completed ZonMw-funded project on influencing healthy food choices in built environments, the ongoing 4TU RECENTRE-project applied to metabolic syndrome, and the ongoing LIFTS-project aimed at promoting a sustainable healthy lifestyle among low-literate youth in vocational education using accessible and engaging technologies like games. The insights and technological developments from these studies provide a unique opportunity to further advance the field of data-driven and personalized digital lifestyle interventions.

Tasks
As a postdoctoral researcher within our research team, your tasks will include:

• Mapping the state of the art and identifying and prioritizing research questions in the field of data-driven digital lifestyle interventions;
• Analyzing data from health apps, wearables, and other data streams to identify behavioral patterns and tailor interventions accordingly;
• Designing and conducting studies on the acceptance, feasibility, effectiveness, and optimization of Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, including algorithm development;
• Integrating data science techniques into existing projects to improve the effectiveness and applicability of interventions;
• Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, including behavioral scientists, data scientists, technology developers, and healthcare professionals;
• Publishing research results in leading scientific journals and presenting at national and international conferences;
• Actively contributing to the development of follow-up research and obtaining external funding;
• Establishing and coordinating a learning network in the field of Data Science and Healthy Lifestyles to promote knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Requirements

You have:

• A completed PhD in a relevant discipline (e.g., health sciences, psychology, data science, computer science);
• Demonstrable experience with data analysis and machine learning techniques, preferably with applications in healthy lifestyle interventions or behavior change;
• Knowledge of behavior change theories and experience with intervention development and implementation is a plus;
• Excellent communication skills and a proactive attitude for effective collaboration in multidisciplinary teams;
• A strong motivation to translate insights from both behavioral science theory and data science into valuable, practical applications;
• Good command of Dutch and English, both spoken and written;
• Strong academic writing skills.

In our international working environment, there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C2.

You can see that there are plenty of challenges ahead of you. These challenges can also be seen as development opportunities. So if you do not yet have the track-record required in the vacancy, but do have solid work experience, we would also like to invite you to apply.

You will work here
The chair group Consumption and Healthy Lifestyles studies consumption and lifestyles of individuals and groups from an interdisciplinary perspective. The chair group embeds these insights in the design, evaluation and implementation of interventions to enable healthy and sustainable behaviors.
The group aims to better understand the drivers of healthy consumption patterns and lifestyles among individuals and groups, and how smartly designed intervention strategies can enable behavior change and promote healthy lifestyles. Particular attention is paid to the research domains of Wageningen University, i.e., food, health and the living environment.

The group takes on a social-ecological perspective towards understanding and fostering healthy consumption and lifestyles, with due attention to individuals, the social groups in which they operate and the environmental factors that may facilitate or hinder behavior change. Intervention design and evaluation addresses social, psychological and technological mechanisms in different contexts (including care and workplace). More information about the chair group can be found here.

You get

• A high degree of freedom and space to develop and translate your own ideas into concrete studies;
• Team science: close collaboration within the digital health team;
• A unique opportunity to build or strengthen an (inter)national network both within and outside academia;
• The opportunity to gain experience in teaching in the field of Data Science for Health behaviors.

Conditions of employment

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.345,- and € 5.278,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended - if possible within (company) organizational circumstances - on good performance.
Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.
Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family. If you come with a partner, we offer a Dual Career group program organized by our Welcome Center. This program helps your partner to get familiar with the Dutch culture, labour market and assists your partner to find a job.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Employer

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

Additional information

For more information about this position, please contact Monique Simons, assistant professor, via monique.simons@wur.nl or Laura Winkens, assistant professor, via laura.winkens@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter recruitment.ssg@wur.nl

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including December 2 2024. The first job interviews are scheduled on December 9 2024 and the second round interviews are scheduled on December 16 2024.

Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.