PhD in Biodiversity and Mental Health at Utrecht University Utrecht University in Netherlands

Utrecht University is advertising a PhD position in biodiversity and mental health at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geosciences, in the Netherlands.

This project, BIOPATH, sits at the intersection of public health, geography, environmental science, biology, statistics, and computer science. The research combines biodiversity indicators such as species richness, habitat quality, and functional diversity with nationwide individual-level health and population register data. Methods include remote sensing, species distribution models, spatial mixed-effects models, and longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses.

The successful PhD candidate will investigate how biodiversity may affect mental health and explore possible pathways including physical activity, social cohesion, air pollution, and noise. The role is embedded in an interdisciplinary team supervised by Marco Helbich, George Downward, and Maria Gabriela Matias de Pinho.

Applicants should have a master’s degree in health sciences, epidemiology, geography, public health, environmental science, or a related field. Strong quantitative and analytical skills are expected, ideally with experience in longitudinal statistics, R or Python, GIS, remote sensing, spatial epidemiology, or geospatial modeling. Excellent English communication skills are required.

The position is a 4-year PhD appointment, initially for 1 year and extendable after a successful assessment. Funding includes a gross monthly salary of €3,059 to €3,881 for full-time work, plus holiday pay, year-end bonus, pension, and other employment benefits.

The application deadline is 21 June 2026. Candidates should apply through the Utrecht University application portal and submit a CV with publication list and a motivation letter. International candidates may need to provide degree certificates and grade lists if shortlisted.