Research professor position in Genomics Medicine (BOFZAP)

A full-time academic research position is vacant at the Department of Human Genetics at KU Leuven. This position utilizes resources made available by the Flemish Government through the Special Research Fund (BOFZAP). We are seeking motivated and internationally oriented candidates with an excellent research record and teaching competence in the field of Genomic Medicine. The appointment is scheduled to start on October 1, 2027.
Applications will be evaluated in parallel and independently of one another by 1) the KU Leuven Research Council in a competitive procedure across all research domains and 2) the Faculty Review Committee. During the first 10 years, teaching obligations as a research professor will be limited. After this period, the position will be converted into a regular academic position.

Genomics is transforming medicine. Genomics operates at the intersection of biomedical and data sciences, integrating clinical genetics with population genomics and challenging existing ethical and legal frameworks. It aims to combine knowledge of the genomics of normal development, aging, and disease with a range of methodologies, such as molecular, genomic, procedural, infrastructural, computational, screening, and AI-based approaches, to translate genomic information into healthcare practice. The candidate is expected to contribute to the development of new models for genomic healthcare, with attention to organizational, clinical, and policy aspects. Close collaboration with the Center for Human Genetics (CME) is expected to enable the joint development of care pathways and quality frameworks and ensure coherent integration with national system actors. The position therefore requires strong alignment with the clinical and translational genomic activities within the CME. The successful candidate will contribute to shaping future genomic healthcare models that are scalable, ethically responsible, and aligned with emerging national and international policy frameworks. You strive for excellence in research and thereby contribute to the further scientific development of the department.

The Department of Human Genetics (DME) is a leading European research centre for human genetics. Its primary objectives are to pursue excellence in research, education, and transnational applications. These efforts are aimed at improving genetic diagnosis, counseling, therapy, and preventive measures. The department’s research portfolio encompasses both fundamental and clinical research, ranging from cell culture to animal models and human subjects. We build upon existing and emerging focal points in research into genome structure and function. We work to promote innovative genomics and bioinformatics methods, which are used for the diagnosis and treatment of genetic disorders, as well as for disease prevention in individuals susceptible to such conditions.

Unit website

Research

It is part of the appointed candidate’s mandate within the field of Genomic Medicine to develop an international, competitive research program, to pursue excellent scientific results of an international standard, and to support and promote national and international research collaborations. The candidate must possess a strong research profile or have the potential to do so. Furthermore, a multidisciplinary approach is expected from the candidate and

a willingness to collaborate intensively with other researchers and research units at KU Leuven and UZ Leuven.

The candidate:

• Is an excellent, internationally oriented researcher and is developing his own research program in the field of genomic medicine.
• Strengthens existing research lines and brings complementary new expertise by collaborating closely with members of the Department of Human Genetics (KU Leuven) and the Center for Human Genetics (UZ Leuven).
• Publishes at the highest scientific level in various leading international top journals.
• Building his own research group.
• Supervises Master’s students, PhD students, and postdocs at an international level.
• Aims to acquire competitive research funding from national and/or international funds and submits effective research project proposals to that end.
• Establish partnerships both within KU Leuven and (inter)nationally in the context of the research program.
• Strives for excellence in research and thereby contributes to the international standing and research reputation of the Department of Human Genetics and KU Leuven.

Education

Although this concerns an appointment as a research professor, the candidate is expected to gradually contribute to state-of-the-art education. The mandate of the candidate to be appointed also includes a limited teaching assignment.

This education must meet the requirements set for academic programmes in terms of level, orientation, and academic content; in particular, it is research-based and research-oriented. The education must align with the educational concept of KU Leuven and any involved partner institutions. Commitment to the quality of the programme as a whole is considered self-evident.

Services

Scientific, societal, and internal service provision (administrative and/or managerial) are also part of your assignment.

Requirements

• You hold a PhD or doctorate and obtained your doctorate on a subject related to the research area, for example molecular biology, (bio)medical sciences, clinical genetics, or data science. If you have recently obtained your doctorate, it is important to substantiate your research and growth potential with academic references (e.g., demonstrate potential through at least one top publication, academic references, promising research projects, and articles in preparation).
• You possess an excellent research record in the field and unquestionable investigative integrity.
• The quality of your research is demonstrated by publications in leading international top journals in the field of Genetics and Genomics.
• You have proven to be successful in securing competitive financing.
• International research experience is a significant plus.
• You have demonstrable qualities for academic teaching. Teaching experience is a plus.
• You possess organizational skills and have a collegial attitude. You have experience with multidisciplinary research and clinical collaboration.
• You possess leadership capabilities (management) within an academic context.
• Your spoken and written English is excellent. The administrative language at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you have no or insufficient knowledge of Dutch upon recruitment, KU Leuven provides training designed to enable you to participate in board meetings. Before you teach in Dutch or English, you will be offered the opportunity to acquire the necessary knowledge of Dutch or English, respectively.

Offer

• We offer full-time employment in an intellectually challenging environment. KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally oriented university that conducts both fundamental and applied scientific research. It is strongly inter- and multidisciplinary oriented and strives for international excellence. To this end, it actively collaborates with its research partners at home and abroad. It offers its students an academic education based on high-level scientific research.
• Depending on your qualifications and academic experience, you will be appointed or nominated to one of the ranks of the independent academic staff: Lecturer, Associate Professor, or (Full) Professor. Junior candidates are, in principle, appointed via the lecturer tenure track. In the event of a positive evaluation after 5 years, the tenure track leads to an appointment as Associate Professor.
• You work in Leuven, a historic yet dynamic and lively city in the center of Belgium, twenty minutes from Brussels, the capital of the European Union, and less than two hours from Paris, London, and Amsterdam.
• KU Leuven is well-equipped to welcome foreign professors and their families and offers practical support regarding immigration and administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, partner career coaching, etc.
• To facilitate scientific integration and research in the first phase, seed funding of 110,000 euros is offered to new professors (provided the conditions determined by KU Leuven are met).

Call for Research Professors (BOFZAP)
Application and selection procedure

Interested?

You can apply for this vacancy until 01/09/2026 via our online application system.