Research professor in Translational Research on Molecular Mechanisms of Prostate Cancer (BOFZAP)

At the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine of KU Leuven, a full-time academic research position is available, focused on Translational Research into the Molecular Mechanisms of Prostate Cancer. This position is supported by resources provided by the Flemish Government through the Special Research Fund (BOFZAP).

We are looking for a motivated and internationally oriented candidate with educational competence and an excellent research record in the field of molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer with special interests in the impact of new treatments on cellular plasticity and the tumor microenvironment. This program will explore how prostate cancer cells hijack molecular signaling to escape homeostatic control, how the tumor microenvironment shapes disease evolution, and how AR remains active in therapy-resistant states. Despite recent advances in single-cell and multi-omic analyses, major gaps remain in our understanding of the mechanisms behind treatment resistance and tumor plasticity. The candidate will address key challenges such as disease heterogeneity, signaling complexity, and the integration of large-scale datasets. Findings will have translational relevance not only for prostate cancer but also for related diseases such as breast cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurodegeneration.

We seek to recruit a scientist who will leverage cutting-edge biochemical, structural biology, and cell biology techniques, including multi-omics approaches and gene editing tools, to investigate the mechanisms of AR signaling through interactions with diverse protein networks and the chromatin of target cells. This research will involve developing a range of preclinical models, including cellular systems, organoids, and patient-derived xenografts, to support validation efforts.

The position will be embedded in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven and will have a strong connection to the clinical service of Urology at the University Hospital Leuven (UZ Leuven). The established collaboration with Prof. Steven Joniau (Urologist – UZ Leuven) and his team in the field of prostate carcinoma research will offer the candidate at CMM excellent opportunities in terms of access to patient materials and translational research approaches in general. Moreover, the position implies that the candidate develops multidisciplinary interactions with urologists, oncologists, pathologists, endocrinologists, and molecular biologists, in order to develop research projects with maximal translational potential and contribute to the development of clinical trials grounded in robust basic research.

KU Leuven is the largest and oldest university in Belgium (founded in 1425). It is a leading academic institution in Europe and its mission is to achieve excellent academic education and research. The KU Leuven department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM) encompasses 19 research groups that explore the molecular mechanisms of disease: basic cellular and molecular processes and their (patho)physiological effects, as well as their implications in various human diseases. Research facilities are located on Campus Gasthuisberg, which is the home of the health science faculties of the KU Leuven, and the academic hospital (UZ Leuven). UZ Leuven is the largest hospital in Belgium and one of the largest in Europe, and is strongly committed to excellence in clinical care and medical research. The campus offers researchers an excellent environment for fundamental and translational research.

The appointment is expected to start on September 1, 2026. 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.
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Duties

Research

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 candidate will be appointed to the Faculty of Medicine and is expected to take up teaching assignments (in English or in Dutch) in this or other faculties. You will provide high-quality teaching, with a clear commitment to the quality of the program as a whole. You will also contribute to the university's pedagogical project by supervising MSc theses and as supervisor of PhD students. As such, the candidate will contribute to the basic training of clinical as well as fundamental research aspirants. He/she develops teaching in accordance with KU Leuven’s vision on activating and research‐based education and makes use of the possibilities for the educational professionalization offered by the faculty and the university.

Service

You provide scientific, social, and internal services (administrative and/or institutional) that contribute to KU Leuven's reputation.

Requirements

• You have obtained a PhD degree in the (Bio-) Medical Sciences or a related field that provides excellent preparation for the requested research program. If you have recently obtained your PhD, it is important that you support 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 have a strong research profile within the aforementioned research domains and an indisputable research integrity. The quality of your research is proven by publications in international leading journals and conferences.
• You have an interest in outreach and broadly contributing to an exciting scientific environment.
• Interdisciplinary mindset and keen on collaborating broadly in the department, and the university.
• You possess organizational skills and leadership capacities within a university context.
• You have a demonstrated capability to acquire competitive research funding.
• You have demonstrable qualities related to academic education. Teaching experience is a plus.
• International research experience is considered as an important advantage.
• Your spoken and written English is excellent.
• The official language used at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch (or do not speak it well) at the start of employment, KU Leuven will provide language training to enable you to take part in meetings. Before teaching courses in Dutch or English, you will be given the opportunity to learn Dutch, respectively English, to the required standard.

Offer

• We offer full-time employment in an intellectually stimulating and international environment. KU Leuven is an research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied scientific research. Our university is highly inter- and multidisciplinary focused and strives for international excellence. In this regard, we actively collaborate with research partners in Belgium and abroad. We provide our students with an academic education that is based on high-quality scientific research.
• Depending on your qualifications and academic experience, you will be appointed to or tenured in one of the grades of the senior academic staff: assistant professor, associate professor, professor or full professor. In principle, junior researches are appointed as assistant professor on the tenure track for a period of 5 years; after this period and a positive evaluation, they are permanently appointed as an associate professor.
• You will work in Leuven, a historic and dynamic and vibrant city located in the heart of Belgium, within twenty minutes from Brussels, the capital of the European Union, and less than two hours from Paris, London and Amsterdam.
• In order to facilitate scientific onboarding and accelerate research in the first phase a starting grant of 110.000 euro is offered to new professors subject to eligibility criteria set by KU Leuven.
• Collaborative atmosphere with clinicians from the University Hospital UZ Leuven located on the same campus.
• KU Leuven is well set to welcome foreign professors and their family and provides practical support with regard to immigration and administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, partner career coaching, ...
• A professorship at KU Leuven implies that you obtain a CEFR level B2 certificate in the Dutch language within the first five years of your employment. KU Leuven will provide language training facilities that will support you with this.

More information

Full application and selection procedure Research Professorships (BOFZAP)

Interested?

More information on the content of the job can be obtained from the academic contact person Prof. dr. Rudi Vennekens, chair of the department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, tel.: +32 16 33 02 18, mail: [email protected].

More information on the guidelines, regulations and application file is available from Ms. Kristin Vermeylen ([email protected] , tel. +32 16 32 09 07) or Ms. Martine van Nierop ([email protected] , tel. +32 16 32 76 98).

For a full description of the procedure and information on annexes and templates, follow the link 'Full application and selection procedure Research Professorships (BOFZAP)' under 'Offer'. Please read this before you start your application.

Please submit your application in English. For problems with online applying, please contact [email protected].

KU Leuven places great importance on research integrity and ethical conduct and will therefore ask you to sign an integrity statement upon appointment.

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.