The Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA) is recruiting an outstanding basic scientist to advance understanding of metabolism and associated diseases in close collaboration with clinical researchers. This research profile will be embedded in the division Clinical & Experimental Endocrinology which harbors several research groups with excellent track records in metabolic research including fundamental research in diabetes type 1 and 2, bariatric surgery and bone disease as well as clinical research in nutrition, obesity management, and andrology. Several of those groups focus on developing novel tools for trans‐nutritional care and generating a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying metabolic diseases.
To excel within the rapidly evolving and highly competitive field of metabolic research, it is essential to employ an integrative approach by comprehensively studying developmental and disease mechanisms and therapeutic interventions in various metabolically interconnected organs, such as adipose tissue, liver, gut, pancreas, but also muscle, brain, microbiome, and the immune system. This holistic approach requires substantial expertise in the field of metabolism, combined with developing innovative concepts. The availability of highly specialized equipment in our department (including metabolic and calorimetric rodent facilities, and rodent models of bariatric surgery), support by institutional Core facilities (multimodal imaging, genomics, metabolomics, microbiome), as well as the proximity of an academic hospital with more than 700 000 out-patient visits each year provide excellent opportunities for metabolic research. Therefore, we wish to expand our interdisciplinary research group with an expert in the field of metabolism, to advance fundamental and translational metabolic research and elaborate collaborations within and outside the CHROMETA department.
Duties
Research
You develop a research program at an international level in the broad field of metabolic diseases, with a focus of your choice (e.g. obesity, gut-brain axis, MASLD).
You strengthen existing research lines and provide complementary expertise, by working closely together with the members of the division. In particular, you work closely with clinical researchers in order to strengthen the translational research on metabolism and associated diseases.
You set up collaborations within and outside the department. You initiate and collaborate in national and international partnerships of the research group.
You are capable of acquiring competitive funding.
You strive for excellence and publish at the highest scientific level.
You supervise master students, PhDs and postdocs at an international level.
Teaching
You will ensure education within the area of metabolism and its associated diseases, with a clear commitment for the quality of the academic programs one of the three faculties of the group Biomedical Sciences.
You will also contribute to the pedagogic project of the faculty/university through the supervision of master theses and as a promoter of PhD students.
Your teaching will be in accordance with the KU Leuven’s vision on activating and research-based education and will make use of the possibilities for the educationalist professionalisation offered by the faculty and the university.
Service
You are prepared to provide scientific, social and internal services that will contribute to the reputation of the department and the entire university.
Profile
You have a PhD in biomedical sciences, biology, biochemistry or a related field, and you have at least 3 years of postdoctoral experience in the field of metabolism. You have extensive experience with animal models as well as cell biology assays. Experience with omics-techniques is preferred.
You have a strong track record, proven by publications in prominent journals and through international research experience and an indisputable research integrity.
You have demonstrable qualities related to academic education. Teaching experience is an advantage.
You possess organizational skills and have a cooperative attitude. You also possess leadership capacities within a university context.
The official administrative 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 resp. English to the required standard.
Offer
We are offering full-time employment in an intellectually challenging environment. KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied scientific research. It is highly inter- and multidisciplinarily focused and strives for international excellence. In this regard, it actively works together with research partners in Belgium and abroad. It provides its students with an academic education that is based on high-quality scientific research.
You will work in Leuven, a historic, dynamic and lively city located in the heart of Belgium, within 20 minutes from Brussels, the capital of the European Union, and less than two hours from Paris, London and Amsterdam.
You will be appointed as a tenure track assistant professor (docent) for a period of five years. Following a positive evaluation, you will be permanently appointed at the rank of associate professor (hoofddocent). Mandate holders of an external postdoctoral fellowship may be asked to terminate their mandate first. They will be appointed as part-time ZAP during that transitional period.
KU Leuven is well set to welcome foreign professors and their family and provides practical support with regard to immigration & administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, partner career coaching, …
To facilitate scientific onboarding and accelerate research in the first phase a starting grant [of 110.000 euro] is offered to new professors appointed for at least 50%.
The next round, when selected, will take place on 11 or 14 September 2026 in Leuven.
Interested?
For more information please contact Prof. dr. Wim Janssens, mail: [email protected].
For problems with online applying, please contact [email protected].
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.
