PhD in Plant-based diet in low back pain - impact on pain, gut microbiome and inflammation

1 - Working at the VUB

For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike. 

At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located. 

Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again. 

Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.

2 - Position description

The research groups of Prof. Anneleen Malfliet (Pain in Motion, PAIN, Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Prof. Doris Vandeputte (AI supported modelling in Clinical Sciences, AIMS, Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Prof. Deliens (Movement and Nutrition for Heaht and Performance, MOVE, Vrije Universiteit Brussel), and Prof. Broux (Chronic Inflammation and Blood brain barrier disruption in Neurodegeneration, CBN, Hasselt University) have joined forces and are seeking a dynamic and highly motivated PhD researcher to conduct innovative scientific research in the field of pain, inflammation, and the gut microbiome. These groups have strong expertise in (chronic) pain, lifestyle interventions, microbiology, nutrition, and inflammatory processes.

Project

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, imposing a profound personal burden and substantial socioeconomic costs. Despite advances in rehabilitation, long-term outcomes remain suboptimal, highlighting the need to broaden our perspective on CLBP beyond traditional biomedical and biomechanical models. Emerging evidence increasingly positions CLBP as a lifestyle-related condition, in which diet and nutrition play a meaningful, yet underexplored, role. Recent studies show that individuals with CLBP exhibit poorer diet quality than pain-free controls, characterized by lower intake of vegetables and whole grains. These dietary patterns are clinically relevant: plant-based diets rich in vegetables and whole grains are known to promote gut microbiome diversity and stability and are consistently associated with lower levels of systemic inflammatory biomarkers. Given compelling evidence that low-grade systemic inflammation contributes to both the development and persistence of CLBP, targeting diet, specifically through a plant-based, anti-inflammatory approach, represents a promising and innovative therapeutic avenue.

The PLANTIP project addresses this critical gap by investigating a personalized, plant-based dietary intervention integrated within best-evidence rehabilitation care for CLBP. PLANTIP is a double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial with a 12-month follow-up, designed to determine whether combining an anti-inflammatory plant-based diet with contemporary physiotherapy leads to a statistically and clinically meaningful reduction in self-reported pain intensity compared to (1) a plant-based diet alone and (2) physiotherapy alone. By directly comparing these three intervention arms (Diet–Pain, Diet-only, and Pain-only), PLANTIP will disentangle additive and synergistic effects of diet and rehabilitation. Secondary outcomes include changes in diet quality, systemic inflammatory markers, gut microbiota composition, physical function, quality of life, and mental wellbeing. This integrative design allows the study to elucidate biological pathways through which dietary modulation may influence chronic pain, particularly via inflammation and gut dysbiosis.

By embedding mechanistic analyses within a rigorous clinical trial, PLANTIP aims to bridge a critical gap between nutrition science, chronic pain mechanisms, and rehabilitation practice. 

For this function, our Brussels Health Campus (Jette) will serve as your home base. 

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

• You hold a Master’s degree in biomedical sciences or bio-engineering sciences, or will obtain this degree before October 1st 2026.

• You have a good knowledge of microbiology, bio-informatics and statistics.
• You are accustomed with the regulation and process of clinical trials.
• You speak Dutch fluently, and are comfortable communicating with participants in a clinical study.
• If eligible, you are willing to prepare an application for personal FWO funding within the first years of your appointment.
• You are pro-active and have excellent organisational skills.
• You are a team player, a problem solver, and possess a critical mindset.
• You are eager to learn new techniques or methods.
• You can work independently and accurate.
• You have demonstrated verbal and written communication skills in (Academic) English.
• You are communicative, and willing to present research results at (inter)national conferences, via social media and through teaching activities.
• You are willing to support the research team with teaching activities, and supervision of master thesis students.
• Students graduating this academic year can also apply for the position.

• You have not performed any works in the execution of a mandate as an assistant, paid from operating resources, over a total (cumulated) period of more than 12 months.

• As a (non-)EEA national, meet the conditions for obtaining a valid permit for VUB and comply with the VUB residence requirements. More info here.

The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague?

You’ll be offered a full-time PhD-scholarship, for 12 months (extendable up to max. 48 months, on condition of the positive evaluation of the PhD activities), with planned starting date 01/10/2026. 

You will be part of a highly collaborative and innovative research team. You can expect a stimulating and encouraging environment in which your contributions are valued and your development as an independent researcher is a priority. You will receive advances training in a wide range of techniques in the aforementioned domains. You will also have opportunities to participate in national and international meetings, and establish your own network. 

You’ll receive a grant linked to one of the scales set by the government.

IMPORTANT: The effective result of the doctorate scholarship is subject to the condition precedent of your enrolment as a doctorate student at the university.

At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.

As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:

• Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
• An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
• Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
• Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike; 
• A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
• Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work (in  all kinds of shops, on flights, in petrol stations, amusement parks...) and Ecocheques; 
• Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps; 
• The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
• And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?

Then apply, at the latest on 30/04/2026, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

• your motivation letter in English;
• your scientific CV;
• your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni).

Our application process is as follows (subject to change):

• step 1: an initial selection based on your application file; 
• step 2: a job interview.

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Doris Vandeputte at doris.vandeputte@vub.be.

Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.

Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance.