Research professor in Genomics Medicine

Research professor in Genomics Medicine (BOFZAP)

KU Leuven is an autonomous university. It was founded in 1425. It was born of and has grown within the Catholic tradition.

The Department of Human Genetics of KU Leuven, invites candidates to apply for a full-time research professorship. This position is funded by the Special Research Fund (BOFZAP), established by the Flemish Government. We are looking for motivated and internationally oriented candidates with an excellent research record and with educational competence in the field of Genomics Medicine. The appointment is expected to start on October 1, 2027. Applications will be evaluated in parallel and independently by 1) the KU Leuven Research Council in a competitive process across academic domains and 2) the faculty advisory committee. During the first 10 years, the teaching obligations as a research professor will be limited. Afterwards, the position will be transformed into a regular professorship.

Genomics is transforming medicine. Genomic medicine operates at the interface of biomedical and data sciences, integrating clinical genetics with population genomics and challenging existing ethical and legal frameworks. It seeks to combine knowledge of the genomics of normal development, ageing, 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 of genomic healthcare delivery, including attention for organizational, clinical, and policy dimensions. A close collaboration with the Center for Human Genetics (CME) is expected to enable co-development of care pathways and quality frameworks, and to ensure coherent integration with national system actors. The position therefore requires strong alignment with the clinical and translational genomics activities embedded within CME. The successful candidate will contribute to shaping future genomic healthcare models that are scalable, ethically robust, and aligned with emerging national and international policy frameworks. You strive for excellence in your research and thus contribute to the further scientific development of the department.

The Department of Human Genetics (DME) is a leading European center for Human Genetics. Its primary objectives revolve around achieving excellence in research, education, and translational applications. These efforts aim to enhance genetic diagnosis, counselling, therapy, and preventive measures. The department's research portfolio encompasses both fundamental and clinical research conducted across various domains and models, including cultured cells, animal models, and human subjects. The research focus of DME is genome structure and function, and development and use of state of the art genomics and bioinformatics methodologies and deploying them for the diagnosis and treatment of genetic disorders as well as prevention of disease in susceptible individuals.

It is part of the assignment of the appointed candidate to develop, within the domain of Genomics Medicine an international, competitive research programme, to pursue excellent scientific results at an international level and to support and promote national and international research partnerships. The candidate must meet a strong research profile or have the potential to do so. In addition, the candidate is expected to have a multidisciplinary attitude and a willingness to cooperate intensively with other researchers and research units at KU Leuven and the University Hospitals Leuven.

The candidate:

• Is an excellent, internationally oriented researcher and develops a research programme at the forefront in the field of Genomics Medicine.
• Strengthens existing research lines and brings complementary and/or additionally new expertise by working closely with the members of the Department of Human Genetics (KU Leuven) and the Center for Human Genetics (UZ Leuven).
• Publishes at the highest scientific level e.g. articles in various leading international top journals.
• Develops an own research group.
• Supervises master students, PhD students and postdocs at a high international level.
• Aims to acquire competitive research funding from national and/or international agencies and submits effective research project proposals for this purpose.
• Establishes both within KU Leuven, national and international partnerships in the context of the research programme.
• Strives for excellence in research and provides a contribution to the international research reputation of the Department of Human Genetics and the KU Leuven.

Teaching

Although the position regards a research professorship at the start of employment, the candidate is expected to gradually contribute to state of the art teaching. The can