"Postdoc: Prevention and Education against Chronic Episodes of Low Back Pain"

Job Summary

Low back pain affects 619 million people worldwide and costs billions in productivity losses. This project aims to translate a proven Australian intervention, involving physiotherapist-guided walking training, health coaching, and educational support, to the Dutch healthcare context to prevent recurrence after physiotherapy.

Responsibilities

As the principal investigator, you will adapt the intervention to the Dutch setting, implement it in three phases: mapping implementation barriers and making initial adjustments; assembling an implementation team, developing strategies, and conducting feasibility research; and implementing and evaluating the intervention's effectiveness and cost-effectiveness through an exploratory cluster-RCT. Results will be presented at national conferences and published in scientific articles.

Qualifications and Requirements

A PhD in Movement Sciences, Health Sciences, Public Health, Epidemiology, or a related field. Affinity with musculoskeletal complaints, particularly back pain. Desired experience in implementation research and quantitative methodology. Good verbal and written skills in both Dutch and English. The employer values diversity and encourages applications from all backgrounds.

What the Employer Offers

A 1-year fixed-term contract for 0.9 FTE with a salary between €3,378 and €5,331 gross per month (based on scale 10-5). Additional benefits include 232 vacation hours per year (or 96 extra for a 40-hour week), 8% holiday allowance, 8.3% end-of-year bonus, discounts on cultural and sports facilities, and opportunities for personal development.