Assistant / Associate Professor Data Science for Life Science Communication (Tenure Track)

Are you highly motivated to understand and advance the use of data science / computational social sciences to address challenges in communicating complex life science topics in dynamic and polarized environments?

The Strategic Communication (COM) group is looking for a hardworking and ambitious assistant / associate professor in Data Science for Life Science Communication. In this position, you are responsible for the coordination, organization, and implementation of new research activities on the application of innovative approaches from data science / computational social sciences in communication research, building a leading international position in this field. We expect you to generate external financial support for an innovative research agenda. Your work has a focus on critical challenges in life science domains such as health (specifically Global One Health), climate change, water, biotechnology, agri-food production, and sustainable consumption. As our new colleague, you will critically explore and contribute to the understanding of how data-driven approaches in digital communication contexts can impact on and contribute to broader individual and collective shifts in these life science domains. This includes, but is not limited to:

• studying interactions and communication processes in public spheres and social media, especially with regard to understanding digital communication mechanisms and/or strategies of misinformation and post-truth;
• analyzing the use of machine learning in designing producer - user/consumer interactions;
• evaluating the reach, resonance, and ethical dimension of data science driven and digital communication campaigns in life science contexts ethical dimension of data science driven and digital communication campaigns in life science contexts.

Furthermore, we challenge you to motivate and teach students and to be involved in innovation of our education. A significant part of the teaching duties includes the development of two courses in the new master specialization 'Data science for health promotion', in cooperation with other chair groups. This interspecialization will be further developed into a full master's program at Wageningen University. You are expected to work with students from various programs, supervise them in the use of data science approaches in communication, and support them in executing coherent research projects. We provide you with training and mentoring in order to accomplish all of this.

You prefer inter- or transdisciplinary approaches and an international orientation. To address current problems and solutions, societal engagement (e.g. with governments, societal actors and researchers) is both a topic for analysis, as well as an approach to work with society in teaching and research projects.

As an assistant / associate professor Data Science for Life Science Communication you are able to navigate between and connect to the interdisciplinary fields of data science/computational social science as well as strategic communication. As such, you feel comfortable with a wide range of perspectives present in both communication science and data science.

Tenure Track is a career path for hardworking scientists who pursue to excel in education and research. We seek to attract scientific talent and to stimulate and support their development.