Doctoral scholarship holder in the project of reconstructing cancer treatment trajectories from routine clinical data

Departement: Moleculaire Beeldvorming, Pathologie, Radiotherapie, Oncologie
Regime Voltijds

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The Department of molecular imaging – pathology – radiotherapy – oncology at the University of Antwerp, and the oncology department at the Antwerp University Hospital is looking for a full-time (100%) doctoral scholarship holder in the project of reconstructing cancer treatment trajectories from routine clinical data

Position

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have transformed cancer care and are now used across many tumour types. Yet a central clinical question remains unanswered: which patients can safely stop treatment early, which patients benefit from prolonged treatment, and how do these decisions affect toxicity, healthcare costs and quality of life?

Today, this question cannot be answered reliably using existing large-scale datasets. Although such datasets often capture how long a patient received treatment, they usually do not explain why treatment changed or stopped: sustained response, disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, patient preference or declining quality of life.

This PhD project will develop methods to reconstruct cancer disease dynamics and treatment trajectories from routinely collected clinical data. The work will be organized in successive phases, starting with the reconstruction of treatment exposure and lines of therapy, followed by inference of disease status in terms of response, stable disease and progression, as well as the identification of reasons for treatment change or discontinuation, and subsequently the extraction of symptoms and adverse events from real-world oncology records.

The project will combine a curated longitudinal dataset covering patients with cancer treated at Antwerp University Hospital with structured hospital data and text mining of clinical notes using large language models. The aim is not only to generate new evidence on immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment duration, but also to build reusable and validated methodology for real-world oncology research.

The candidate will join the department of molecular imaging – pathology – radiotherapy – oncology at the University of Antwerp, and the oncology department at the Antwerp University Hospital. The project will be supervised by Dr Annelies Verbiest and Dr Laure-Anne Teuwen, in collaboration with experts in epidemiology, data science and medical oncology.

The candidate will work at the intersection of oncology, epidemiology, medical informatics and AI-assisted data curation. The project offers the opportunity to extend the work beyond UZA into the international OHDSI oncology evidence network, connecting the candidate to a global open-science community working on federated, standardized real-world cancer evidence.

Profile

The candidate holds a Master’s degree in medicine, biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, data science or epidemiology, equivalent to at least distinction under the Belgian grading system.

The candidate has a creative and critical mind.

The candidate has a proactive attitude and the ability to overcome challenges.

The candidate is a team player and has good communication skills.

The candidate is proficient in spoken and written English.

Fluency in Dutch is a strong asset.

Experience with statistical programming is an asset.

Experience with epidemiological research, longitudinal healthcare data, or natural language processing is an asset.

Candidates are not expected to have expertise in all these areas, but should be motivated to develop the required methodological and technical skills.

The candidate is motivated to conduct clinically relevant, transparent and reproducible research and to work across disciplinary boundaries.

The candidate is committed to responsible research practices, including data protection, research ethics and the responsible use of AI.

Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies.

You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation.

What we offer

We offer a doctoral scholarship for a period of one year which can be extended for an additional three years following a positive evaluation, for a total duration of four years.

A working climate where commitment, trust, and collaboration are essential.

A young, stimulating and supportive national and international research environment.

High-level scientific training, as well as training in academic, thematic and transferable skills.

Partial remote working may be possible in accordance with the applicable university and hospital policies and the needs of the research project.

We offer the opportunity to take part in academic activities within the scope of your work, as well as the opportunity to further develop yourself through training and education.

Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders.

You will receive ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance, and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.

As a doctoral researcher, you will have access to a wide and varied range of courses and an educational credit through the Antwerp Doctoral School.

You will do most of your work at Campus Drie Eiken in a dynamic and stimulating working environment at the Antwerp University Hospital and University of Antwerp..

Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here.

Want to apply?

Applications should be submitted through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform. Applications will be reviewed from July 24 2026 onwards and the vacancy will remain open until the position is filled. Selected candidates will be invited for an interview in August 2026.

Applicant should complete the online application form, and include the following attachments:

Full CV, including previous research experience and publication list, if applicable.

One-page cover letter describing their motivation to apply for this position and their career goals.

The names and contact details, including email addresses and telephone numbers, of two referees, such as a Master’s thesis supervisor or another academic supervisor.

Overview of their Bachelor’s and Master’s studies including courses completed and grades obtained.

Applications missing any of the above documents will not be considered. Applications submitted via email will also not be considered.

If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions or send an email to Voir email sur uantwerpen.be. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact Dr Annelies Verbiest, promotor, at Voir email sur uantwerpen.be, or Dr Laure-Anne Teuwen, co-promotor, at Voir email sur uantwerpen.be).

The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversityand attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.