Postdoc position Exposure and safety assessment of PFAS and PFAS-free alternatives in health care

Organisation/Company University of Antwerp Research Field Biological sciences » Other Chemistry » Analytical chemistry Chemistry » Other Medical sciences » Other Pharmacological sciences » Other Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Final date to receive applications 17 Aug 2026 - 21:59 (UTC) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe (other) Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

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The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences of the University of Antwerp is looking for a full-time postdoctoral researcher to improve our understanding of the human exposure pathways of PFAS and PFAS-free alternatives in the health care sector
, part of the EU HORIZON-IHI project PFAROS. This position will aim at performing high-quality research related to human exposure to PFAS (including F-polymers) from all types of production equipment, consumables, packaging, delivery devices, medical devices, complex machinery parts, and cleaning agents used in the health care sector. Existing data will be enriched with innovative measurements on leachables/extractables using advanced mass spectrometry techniques.

The research will be executed at the Toxicological Centre of the University of Antwerp (TC, UA), Belgium
, which has extensive analytical expertise and instrumental capabilities related to human exposure assessment and environmental and analytical toxicology.

• You will contribute to mapping of PFAS use across healthcare to support substitution and risk assessment. Together with other project partners, you will categorize PFAS by properties and functions, compile toxicity, fate, exposure, and supply-chain data, and document potential PFAS-free alternatives.
• You will contribute to the chemical analysis of PFAS and PFAS-free alternatives in selected articles and products using state-of-the-art chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques, including (non-targeted) screening and cheminformatics approaches.
• You will contribute to the exposure assessment including extractables/leachables with the compilation of existing data, exposure modelling and analysis of selected scenarios using fit-for-purpose standardised methods (e.g. ISO, CEN etc.) or LC-HRMS and/or GC-HRMS. This includes human health exposure through leachables during use.
• For the tasks mentioned above, you will refine and implement existing analytical methods at the TC and validate new methods for PFAS in matrices of emerging interest.
• You will conduct research and publish your results to disseminate scientific insights.
• You will contribute to attracting external funding for the TC and will coordinate project proposals in the field of PFAS research.
• You will participate in the provision of academic services: you will represent the research group both internally and externally.
• You will build and maintain international scientific contacts.
• You will supervise and evaluate Master and PhD students with a view to successfully completing and defending their thesis.

• You hold a PhD in analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, biomedical or environmental sciences, pharmaceutical sciences or a similar discipline. The preferred candidate should have an excellent track-record of peer-reviewed publications in recognized journals in the field and experience with external funding.
• You have experience with target and non-target analysis of PFAS at trace levels (by LC and/or…