Last updated 31.08.2026
PhD candidate: Risk Assessment – Human Health (M/F/X) Ref°666
Contract type : Full-time and determined duration contract (CDD)
Le Laboratoire national de santé (Luxembourg public institution) is recruiting a PhD candidate: Risk Assessment – Human Health (m/f) (Ref °666) Type of contract: Full-time (40h/week) with a contract of determined duration (4 years) starting October 1st, 2026 within the Department Health Protection – Service “Medical Expertise and Data Intelligence”.
About the Project
We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to join an interdisciplinary research project in the framework of PARC (the European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals.)
The PhD project aims to develop and apply an integrated, human-relevant framework for assessing health risks associated with combined exposures to emerging plastic-related chemicals, with a particular focus on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), phthalates, and bisphenols in the Luxembourg residential environment. The research will address chemical mixture effects, identify major risk drivers, investigate exposure sources and pathways, and evaluate determinants of exposure across different population groups.
Research Context
The project is based on uniquely comprehensive Luxembourgish datasets generated through three major epidemiological studies: The national Human Biomonitoring Survey (LëtzHBM), including integrated residential environmental monitoring (indoor air, house dust, and drinking water);
a dedicated PFAS pregnancy and mother-child cohort (in preparation phase); and an occupational biomonitoring study among waste management workers. Together, these datasets provide an unprecedented opportunity to conduct a comprehensive and policy-relevant assessment of chemical mixture risks across the general population, vulnerable life stages, and occupationally exposed groups.
Job description
About the Health Protection Department
The LNS Health Protection Department supports public health and healthcare in addressing issues caused or aggravated by environmental factors. Our main partners are hospitals, ministries, and occupational health services in Luxembourg.
The Department comprises two Services:
- Environmental Hygiene and Human Biomonitoring Service (EnvirOH) (laboratory)
- Medical Expertise and Data Intelligence Service (MEDI)
RESPONSIBILITIES
The successful candidate will
- Analyse environmental monitoring, human biomonitoring and epidemiological data.
- Apply advanced statistical and epidemiological methods to characterize exposure patterns and cumulative risks.
- Investigate determinants of exposure and identify modifiable risk factors.
- Contribute to methodological developments in cumulative and mixture risk assessment.
- Collaborate with national and international partners within the PARC network.
- Present research findings at scientific conferences and stakeholder meetings.
- Participate in project meetings and contribute to dissemination and policy-relevant reporting activities.
- Publish results in peer-reviewed international scientific journals.
- Complete a doctoral thesis within the project timeframe (Luxembourg Doctoral School in Science and Engineering (DSSE).
Supervision and Research Environment
- As part of the PARC program, the PhD candidate will work in a multidisciplinary environment at the interface of environmental epidemiology, exposure science, toxicology, risk assessment and public health.
- Collaborating Institution: University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB).
Profile
- A Master’s degree in Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Public Health, Biostatistics, Environmental Sciences, Toxicology, Exposure Science, or a related discipline.
- Fulfill the eligibility criteria for doctoral candidates of the University of Luxembourg
- Strong quantitative and analytical skills.
- Experience in epidemiological data analysis, knowledge of exposure assessment, biomonitoring, or environmental health research, and familiarity with mixture risk assessment approaches and/or chemical exposure modelling using Monte Carlo Risk Assessment Platform and alternative statistical software such as R, SAS, Stata, or Python.
- Interest in human biomonitoring, environmental epidemiology, chemical risk assessment, and public health.
- Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to interdisciplinary team projects.
- Strong scientific writing skills for publications in scientific journals and technical reports.
- Excellent team working, networking and communication skills.
Comment postuler ?
Si vous correspondez au profil ci-dessus et que vous souhaitez postuler, veuillez soumettre votre candidature (CV et lettre de motivation) via notre site web. Votre candidature sera traitée de manière confidentielle.
Lors des dernières étapes du processus de recrutement, le candidat retenu sera invité à fournir des documents justificatifs tels que des copies des diplômes et des certificats de travail. Un extrait de casier judiciaire officiel (bulletin n° 3 ainsi que le bulletin n° 4 pour les postes de chauffeur) sera également demandé à des fins de consultation.
