Overview
Position: Ph.D. Fellowship
Workplace: RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic
Type of programme: 4-year Ph.D. programme with financial support for 4 years, non-academic position
Working Hours: 0,5 FTE (part-time employment of 20 hours per week)
Expected Start Date: negotiable with respect to immigration timelines for non EU candidates
Number of Open Positions: 1
Pay: financial support for 4 years
Application Deadline: 23.6.2026
About the Workplace
Masaryk University is modern, dynamic and the most attractive university in the Czech Republic with ten faculties, more than 7 000 staff and 33 000 students, a wide range of research areas and a strong international position. We are the largest academic employer in the South Moravian Region.
Faculty of Science MU, a holder of the HR Excellence in Research Award by the European Commission, is a research-oriented faculty, offering university education (Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degree programs) closely linked to both primary and applied research and high school teaching of the following sciences: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Earth sciences. We are the most productive scientific unit of the Masaryk University generating around 40 % of MU research results.
RECETOX focuses on interdisciplinary research and education in the area of Environment & Health, studying toxic compounds and their behaviour, transport & bioaccumulation to evaluate environmental effects, assess the exposure and health risks to humans, and develop technologies and biotechnologies to break them down. http://www.recetox.muni.cz/en/career/career-at-recetox
The research group
A doctoral student will be based at the Environmental epidemiology ERA Chair research group, coordinated by Prof. Hynek Pikhart and Prof. Martin Bobak. The research group integrates approaches from epidemiology, biostatistics, genetics, psychology, and other disciplines to study the effects of environmental, lifestyle, and social determinants on health of individuals and populations. The group participates in a range of international collaborative projects aimed at fostering multidisciplinary cooperation and contributing to evidence-based decision-making in public health and disease prevention.
The doctoral student project and the duties
The group is seeking a highly-motivated and committed doctoral student with strong interest in epidemiology and population health who is keen to learn new methods and analytical approaches. The student should be able to work independently, while benefiting from supervision and collaboration in an interdisciplinary environment.
The doctoral project focuses on the complex relationships between lifestyle, environmental exposures, socioeconomic factors, biological mechanisms and cancer morbidity and mortality. The project is based on a large Czech population-based cohort linked to national register data. The project will analyse the existing dataset using both traditional epidemiological approaches (e.g. longitudinal cohort analyses) and integration of genetic and omics data. The overall aim is to improve the understanding of determinants of cancer in the population and to contribute to improved preventive strategies.
The successful candidate will closely collaborate with colleagues in the environmental epidemiology group as well as with other researchers in other research groups at RECETOX. The PhD will include data management, statistical analyses, interpretation of results, scientific writing and presentation of findings at national and international conferences. A doctoral student is also expected to participate in doctoral courses and actively contribute to the research environment.
More about the Ph.D. position
- 4-year Ph.D. programme with financial support for 4 years
- Interdisciplinary scientific topics
- Supervision by experienced mentors and senior scientists and tailored study plan
- Excellent and state-of-the-art research infrastructure
- International mobility and internships
- International and friendly environment
- Courses developing transferable skills
Skills and Qualifications
- MSc. or a corresponding degree from a university in epidemiology, public health, statistics, data science or similar disciplines
- Good numeracy
- Knowledge of epidemiological and/or statistical methods
- At least some experience with statistical software (e.g. Stata, R, SPSS, or similar)
- Experience with quantitative data analyses
- Good communication skills and proficiency in English
- Analytical, structured and detail-oriented approach to work
We Offer
- An interesting job in a dynamically-expanding university area
- Flexible working hours and occasional home office to support personal needs in family and career compatibility
- Employee benefits such as 6 weeks of paid vacation per year, pension insurance contribution/long-term investment product/nursery/children´s group allowance, a financial meal allowance, Multisport card, psychological counselling, vaccinations free of charge, discounted language courses, exclusive mobile tariff offer by Vodafone)
- The Welcome Office provides excellent support with relocation to Brno
Application Process
The application shall be submitted online via an e-application here.
The candidate shall provide following:
- CV
- Motivation letter
After submitting your application successfully, you will receive an automatic confirmation email from jobs.muni.cz. In case of problems with filling in the e-application form, please contact us by e-mail: rcx-hr@recetox.muni.cz.
Selection Process
Received applications will be considered carefully in line with principles of the EU Charter and Code for Researchers. Selection criteria: (i) meeting qualification requirements described above, (ii) all required documents provided.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a personal or online interview.
The Faculty Recruitment Policy (OTM-R) can be seen here.
Faculty of Science, Masaryk University is an equal opportunity employer. We support diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Visit our Career page.
We are looking forward to hearing from you!
