Summary
Amsterdam UMC is seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher for a ZonMW-funded project titled ‘Foot4Thought: Multimodal modelling to understand and prevent foot deformities in cerebral palsy’. This interdisciplinary project is a collaboration between Amsterdam UMC and TU Delft, aiming to understand and prevent foot deformities in children with cerebral palsy (CP) using advanced musculoskeletal modeling and statistical shape analysis.
Postdoc Musculoskeletal Modeling in Children with Cerebral Palsy, Amsterdam UMC, Netherlands
Key Information
| Category | Details |
| Designation | Postdoctoral Researcher (Postdoc) |
| Research Area | Musculoskeletal Modeling, Biomechanical/Biomedical Engineering, Pediatric Orthopedics |
| Location | Locatie VUmc, Amsterdam UMC (with close collaboration at TU Delft) |
| Employment Type | Fixed-term (12 months, with intention to extend depending on funding) |
| Working Hours | 32 to 36 hours per week |
| Salary Scale | Scale 10: € 3.724 to € 5.867 gross per month (plus 8.3% end-of-year bonus) |
Job Description
As a postdoctoral researcher, you will play a key role in the CP Center of Expertise, focusing on creating patient-specific musculoskeletal models of the foot and ankle. Your core responsibilities will include:
- Creating and evaluating patient-specific OpenSim models of the foot and ankle using OpenSim Creator.
- Developing warping methods based on statistical shape models to automate patient-specific model creation.
- Performing retrospective data curation and analysis to contribute to the project’s dataset.
- Writing a Medical Ethics Review Committee (METc) application for future longitudinal data collection.
- Writing grant applications to secure additional funding for future follow-up projects.
- Collaborating closely with a multidisciplinary team, including a PhD student at TU Delft focusing on finite element (FE) analyses.
Eligibility / Qualification
- A finished or nearly finished PhD in a relevant field, such as Biomechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or related fields. (Note: Junior researchers who have not yet obtained a PhD but fulfill all other criteria are also welcome to apply).
- Strong expertise in musculoskeletal modeling, preferably using OpenSim or OpenSim Creator.
- Good programming skills in Matlab and/or Python.
- A strong interest in pediatric orthopedic research and working within interdisciplinary, clinical partnerships.
- A solid publication record appropriate to your career stage is highly desirable.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit their application directly via the official portal by clicking the Apply now button on the vacancy page.
Important Note for Applicants: In your motivation letter, please explicitly state your availability for the interview periods. The first round of interviews is scheduled for the week of August 17, 2026, and the second round is expected during the week of August 24, 2026.
For specific questions regarding the position, you can contact Marjolein van der Krogt (Associate Professor) vialooplab@amsterdamumc.nl.
Last Date to Apply
30 July 2026 (Note: Applications are reviewed on a continuous basis, and the vacancy will close as soon as a sufficient number of suitable candidates have applied).
