PhD in Molecular Muscle Biology, Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition at Ghent University Ghent University in

PhD opportunity at Ghent University: Molecular Muscle Biology, Exercise Physiology, and Sports Nutrition

The Ghent Muscle Lab at Ghent University is recruiting a fully funded PhD researcher to join a multidisciplinary and internationally connected research environment in Ghent, Belgium. The project sits at the intersection of skeletal muscle biology, exercise physiology, sports nutrition, molecular biology, and bioinformatics, with a strong translational focus on muscle function, metabolic health, and exercise-induced adaptation.

The doctoral project, titled “Muscle signals beyond contraction: transcriptional response to exercise within and between muscle fibers”, investigates within-fiber and between-fiber heterogeneity in transcriptional responses to exercise. The work combines experimental approaches in rats and humans, including single motor unit electrical stimulation, spatial transcriptomics, and imaging at subcellular level using RNAscope and Xenium. The lab aims to generate fundamental knowledge on transcriptional regulation in multinucleated cells and how exercise shapes muscle plasticity and health/performance outcomes.

The position is embedded in the Ghent Muscle Lab, led by Prof. Wim Derave and Prof. Eline Lievens, within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Ghent University. The project is collaborative and includes expertise from Prof. Jimmy Van den Eynden (bioinformatics/computational techniques), Prof. Jo Vandesompele (RNA quantification and data analysis), and Prof. Jan Celichowski in Poznan, Poland (neurobiology and rodent model expertise).

Eligibility highlights: applicants should hold a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, Bioscience Engineering, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Biochemistry, Medicine, Sports Sciences, or a related biomedical/biology field. Strong interest in skeletal muscle physiology and the ability to combine wet-lab molecular methods with bioinformatic analysis are important. Experience with immunohistochemistry, transcriptomics, R/Python, advanced statistics, or image analysis is a strong advantage. English proficiency is required.

Funding: the fellowship is fully funded and corresponds to 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The appointment starts with 12 months and can be extended up to 48 months after positive evaluation. The post also notes the possibility of applying for personal funding in the first or second year.

Application window: deadline is 30 June 2026. Applicants should submit a motivation letter, CV, study results, and optionally a recommendation letter by email. Selected candidates will be invited for an interview, which may be conducted online for international applicants.