PhD: Innovating Serodiagnostics for Wildlife disease surveillance

Ready to make a real impact with your research in One Health? Join our dynamic team at RIVM and help develop groundbreaking diagnostic methods for wildlife disease surveillance.

What’s in it for you?

As a PhD candidate in Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, you will take on the exciting challenge of advancing wildlife disease diagnostics across multiple species. At RIVM, we aim to push the boundaries of infectious disease monitoring, and you’ll play a key role in developing all-species serological assays for wildlife. Your work will strengthen the overall surveillance system, ensuring better prevention and control of infectious diseases in both animals and humans.

What will you do?

Sero-surveillance, the screening for pathogen-specific antibodies in both humans and animals, is a vital tool for infectious disease prevention and control. Around 60% of emerging infectious diseases originate from wild animals, making wildlife surveillance essential. However, collecting blood serum from wildlife is challenging due to limited direct handling and the harsh conditions in which samples must often be collected.

Your PhD project, as part of the Surveillance4NL initiative, focuses on developing novel diagnostic methods to overcome these challenges. You will explore validated alternatives to serum sampling—such as using other antibody-containing body fluids—thereby improving the feasibility of wildlife surveillance. Specifically, you will:

• Develop and optimize sero-diagnostic tools for wildlife, creating all-species, conjugate-independent assays for wildlife-borne zoonoses.
• Design novel sampling techniques to collect samples from various wildlife species under different conditions, including both fresh and non-fresh carcasses.
• Collaborate with the Human Diagnostics department and other national and international research institutes to refine and implement these diagnostic methods.
• Compare different sample collection strategies for species ranging from small to large animals.
• Analyse, publish, and present your findings at international scientific platforms, contributing to the advancement of sero-surveillance methods.
• Receive training at Utrecht University to strengthen your scientific foundation and facilitate the completion of your PhD.

By the end of your first year, you will have made significant progress in developing innovative sampling and diagnostic techniques, setting the stage for broader application in the field of wildlife disease surveillance.

Why choose this PhD?

This position provides you with the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research with immediate relevance to public health. At RIVM, you will work within a multidisciplinary One Health network, alongside medical biologists, veterinarians, and entomologists. Your research will directly contribute to the improvement of infectious disease surveillance systems, not only in the Netherlands but also internationally.

What makes this position stand out:

• You’ll engage in impactful research that strengthens wildlife disease surveillance, a key component of public health strategies.
• The multidisciplinary team and international collaboration provide unique learning opportunities and career development.
• You will be supported by experienced supervisors and have access to advanced research facilities at Utrecht University to enhance your PhD trajectory.

About the team

You’ll be joining the Animal & Vector-borne Diseases department, led by Maarten Hoek. Your day-day supervisor is Hein Sprong, a highly regarded colleague with extensive experience guiding PhD students. You’ll work closely with other PhD candidates, analysts, and researchers, all committed to collaborative and innovative research. Hein is known for his supportive and approachable leadership style, ensuring you receive both guidance and autonomy throughout your research journey.

At RIVM, over 3000 professionals work together every day to build a healthier future. In our Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology Centre, we monitor and analyse infectious disease trends in the Netherlands. Our Animal & Vector-borne Diseases department is a dynamic, international team of about 40 experts, all dedicated to controlling zoonotic diseases.

Functie-eisen

Who are you?

• You thrive in a collaborative environment, bringing strong social and technical skills to the team.
• You are passionate about lab work, love to explore alternative surveillance methods, and are fascinated by disease ecology.
• You’re curious, persistent, and driven by the desire to produce research with societal relevance.
• Your solid grasp of English is essential for writing scientific publications and collaborating with international colleagues.

Additionally:

• You hold a master’s degree in biomedical sciences, life sciences, or biology.
• You have experience with lab analyses, including serology, and ideally some background in field research or (medical) biology.
• You have a good understanding of statistics and data analysis.

Your skill set:

• Collaborative team player
• Curious and analytical thinker
• Proactive and well-organized
• Results-oriented finisher