PhD Researcher in Legal and ethical perspectives in data-driven technologies in healthcare

University of Amsterdam (UvA) via AcademicTransfer; Netherlands; On-site; EUR 36,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PhD training program

Tailor-made supervision

Active participation in academic life

Job summary

The University of Amsterdam (UvA) invites applications for a PhD position led by Dr. Mahsa Shabani at the Law Centre for Health and Life.

The project blends law, ethics and technology, with opportunities to shape a personal research plan within the NWO-VIDI framework on fairness in data-driven medical technologies. You will work within an interdisciplinary team, conduct doctrinal and empirical studies, and participate in seminars, workshops and outreach to academics, practitioners and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in law (with focus on health law or technology law) or bioethics/ philosophy.
• Experience with multi-method empirical and legal research.
• Interdisciplinary interest at the intersection of law, ethics and technology.
• Experience with academic research and writing in English.
• Demonstrable team working skills.
• Excellent command of English, both oral and written.
• Interest in dissemination of research findings.
• Familiarity with EU regulations (AI Act, MDR, GDPR & EHDS) is a plus.
• Experience with stakeholder engagement (interviews, focus groups, Delphi studies) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design the scope of the PhD research project and refine research questions with the project team.
• Autonomously engage in data collection, coding and analysis using doctrinal, literature, focus groups and Delphi studies.
• Present intermediate results in internal discussions and workshops.
• Contribute to project activities such as organizing stakeholder meetings, academic events and outreach; communicate results to academics, practitioners and policy makers.
• Optionally, take teaching responsibilities in line with project needs.

Skills

Multidisciplinary research

Academic writing in English

Team collaboration

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Master’s degree in law (health/tech) or bioethics/philosophy

Job description

Organisation/Company University of Amsterdam (UvA) Research Field Ethics in health sciences Juridical sciences » Informatic law Juridical sciences » Health law Philosophy » Ethics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 30 Nov 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 38.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

We are inviting prospective researchers to apply for a PhD position led by Dr. Mahsa Shabani. This position offers a unique opportunity to work on an interdisciplinary project at the intersection of law, ethics, and technology. The candidate will have the opportunity to shape their own research plan within the broader VIDI project.

Join our team!

Artificial intelligence and genomics technologies are transforming healthcare, offering powerful tools for diagnosis and treatment. Yet, these innovations often fail to serve diverse populations fairly, which can reinforce existing inequalities. Current regulatory frameworks lack a comprehensive approach to fairness, often focusing narrowly on anti-discrimination measures while overlooking broader socio-ethical considerations. This PhD project would focus on building a multidimensional conception of fairness in medical AI and genetics, integrating technical, clinical, ethical, and legal perspectives. The project will employ a combination of theoretical analysis and empirical studies (including focus group studies and Delphi studies) to assess the real-world implications of fairness in data-driven healthcare. The PhD project is within the NWO-VIDI project Fairness in Data-Driven Medical Technologies: Solidifying Regulatory Oversight Based on a Multidimensional Conception of Fairness.

What are you going to do

• Design the scope of the individual PhD research project, and fine-tune the research questions and methodology together with the whole project team;
• Engage autonomously in - as well as collaborate on - the collection, coding and analysis of data, through doctrinal/literature research, conceptual analysis, focus groups and Delphi study;
• Present intermediate research results in internal discussions and at workshops and conferences;
• Contribute to project activities, such as organizing stakeholder meetings, academic events and outreach; and communication of research results to relevant communities of academics, practitioners and policy makers; and
• Optionally, and in mutual agreement with the project leader and in line with the teaching needs of the Health Law group, have teaching responsibilities.

What do you have to offer

You have:

• (or are about to obtain) a master’s degree in law (with a focus on health law or technology law) or bioethics /philosophy. A background in both philosophy / bioethics and law is an advantage.
• interest (and ideally experience) in conducting multi-method empirical and legal research;
• interdisciplinary interest in issues on the intersection of law, ethics, and technology (bridging technical, ethical, and legal domains);
• experience with conducting academic research and academic writing in English;
• demonstrable team working skills;
• excellent command of English, both orally and written;
• interest in broader dissemination of your research findings in the public debate.
• familiarity with EU regulations (AI Act, MDR, GDPR & EHDS) is an asset;
• experience with stakeholder engagement (e.g. interviews, focus groups, Delphi studies) is an asset.

What do we offer you

We offer you the opportunity to work in an intellectually stimulating and teamwork-oriented environment. We aim to provide tailor-made and careful supervision with the main goal of helping you grow and flourish academically and professionally. You have the opportunity and obligation to participate in the Amsterdam Law School’s PhD training program.

We offer a position for 1.0 FTE (38 hours/week) as a PhD student. The initial appointment is for 1 year with a trial period of 2 months. After a positive evaluation, your appointment will be extended for another 3 years. The start date will be determined by mutual agreement; it is currently scheduled around 1 January 2027.

Your salary ranges from €3,204 (in year 1) to €4,051 (in year 4) based on a 38-hour working week. This amount excludes 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The CAO Nederlandse Universiteiten (CAO NU) applies.

This is where you are going to work

You will become a team member of the Law Centre for Health and Life based at the University of Amsterdam’s Law Faculty. Within the Law Centre for Health and Life, you will join the Digital Health & Genomics research group, an interdisciplinary research group consisting of researchers from different academic backgrounds. There are multiple PhD candidates working at the Centre on various projects. You will be invited and expected to actively contribute to the academic life of the Centre, Faculty and University.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact by email: Dr. Mahsa Shabani, [e-mail]