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PhD Candidate Biopsychosocial factors in chronic skin conditions
In the Netherlands, over 2.5 million individuals suffer from chronic inflammatory skin diseases (e.g., psoriasis, atopic eczema). The psychological impact of these conditions is substantial, including increased risk for depression and anxiety, and a high prevalence of experienced stigmatization. In turn, psychological factors are known to influence the severity and symptoms of skin conditions (e.g., stress, feeling stigmatized, or expectancies that itch symptoms may get worse), and related behavior (e.g. excessive scratching behaviour, treatment non-adherence). However, this field remains underexplored, resulting in suboptimal treatment outcomes and high socio-economic costs. More knowledge on the relationship between psychological factors and severity as well as symptoms of skin conditions could help predict which patients will benefit from which treatments. In this PhD project, you will focus on examining the biopsychosocial impact of six chronic skin conditions, and the influence of this biopsychosocial impact on disease outcomes and treatment outcomes. Finding the right treatment at the right moment for the individual patient with a skin condition is the main aim of Next Generation ImmunoDermatology (NGID), a large nationwide consortium that this PhD project will be a part of.
What you will do
In this PhD project, your main focus will be to examine the influence of biopsychosocial factors such as distress, expectancies and stigmatization on disease outcomes in patients with chronic skin conditions. To this end, you will conduct prospective research in collaboration with hospitals throughout the Netherlands. Furthermore, you will conduct experimental laboratory research with behavioural tasks and/or standardized inductions of itch. Lastly, throughout your PhD, you will be involved in the assessment of patients’ needs and wishes, and in ensuring that the patient perspective is prioritized in all aspects of this nationwide project.
Key work activities
Where you will work
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences consists of five institutes: Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Political Science, and Psychology. The faculty has approximately 7000 students and 1000 staff members. Within the institutes, not only education is provided but also groundbreaking research is conducted that pushes the boundaries of our understanding of human behaviour and societal structures. What makes our faculty unique is the diversity of research topics, the various styles of teaching, and the way professional support is organized; this provides you with the opportunity to explore and develop your interests and expertise.
Institute of Psychology
The Institute of Psychology educates new generations to contribute to the challenges of our society, now and in the future, based on leading behavioral scientific research and education. This is achieved through collaboration both within and outside our institute in the field of Psychology and related research areas, both fundamental and applied. The broad bachelor's program and a wide variety of master's specializations also contribute to this goal. Within the institute and the academic community, there is a committed and passionate atmosphere. The themes of Health and Well-being, Social-Cognitive-Affective Decision Making, Development and Learning, and Advanced Behavioral Science Methods guide research and education. The institute values conducting these activities in a safe and inclusive environment and provides space for new developments such as open science, recognition and appreciation, and interdisciplinarity, which are anchored in its strategy. With approximately 5,000 students and 600 staff members, the institute includes the Institute Office, the Department of Bachelor Education, and 6 units for education and research: Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Social, Economic and Organisational Psychology, and Methodology and Statistics.
Within the department of Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, this project will fall within the hub theme ‘Diagnostics and interventions for somatic health conditions.’ You will work on this project under supervision of Dr. Sylvia van Beugen, Dr. Antoinette van Laarhoven, and Prof. dr. Andrea Evers. In addition, you will be part of the national consortium of Next Generation ImmunoDermatology (NGID), in which an enthusiastic, nationwide, interdisciplinary team works together to innovate the field of dermatology. You will collaborate with a variety of specialists and stakeholders within this consortium, including (but not limited to) dermatologists and patients with skin conditions.
What you bring
If you immediately recognise yourself in this profile, or if do you not quite meet all the requirements, but you believe that this is the right job for you, we look forward to your application!
What we offer
Our goal is to work together to create a transparent and inclusive work environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Our organisation is always evolving and we need your ideas for improvement and innovation to take us further. We want to devote attention to your personal development.
You can expect an enjoyable job within the socially relevant world of education and research. The University's challenging and international work environment is located just steps away from Leiden’s lively city centre or the bustling city centre of The Hague. We also want to work with you to devote attention to your health and vitality, for example with the fun activities we organise through Healthy University.
We also offer:
De Universiteit Leiden is één van Europa’s meest vooraanstaande internationale onderzoeksuniversiteiten. De universiteit heeft zeven faculteiten in het alfa-, bèta- en gammadomein, is gevestigd in Leiden en Den Haag en heeft ruim 6.700 medewerkers en 29.520 studenten. Haar motto is Praesidium Libertatis – Bolwerk van Vrijheid.
Dankzij de bevlogen en betrokken medewerkers heeft de universiteit een leidende rol in wetenschappelijk onderzoek…
De Universiteit Leiden is één van Europa’s meest vooraanstaande internationale onderzoeksuniversiteiten. De universiteit heeft zeven faculteiten in het alfa-, bèta- en gammadomein, is gevestigd in Leiden en Den Haag en heeft ruim 6.700 medewerkers en 29.520 studenten. Haar motto is Praesidium Libertatis – Bolwerk van Vrijheid.
Dankzij de bevlogen en betrokken medewerkers heeft de universiteit een leidende rol in wetenschappelijk onderzoek en onderwijs en scoort Leiden elk jaar zeer goed in toonaangevende rankings. De lat ligt dan ook hoog. Ongeacht welk werk u aan onze universiteit doet, u wordt altijd aangemoedigd om uw horizon te verbreden, uw talenten te ontplooien en het maximale uit uzelf te halen.
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