Chercheur-se en modélisation PBPK pour l’évaluation des risques chimiques

Back to jobs listing

INRAE presentation

The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) is a major player in research and innovation. It is a community of 12,000 people with 272 research, experimental research, and support units located in 18 regional centres throughout France. Internationally, INRAE is among the top research organisations in the agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences, as well as in ecology and environmental science. It is the world’s leading research organisation specialising in agriculture, food and the environment. INRAE’s goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. Faced with a growing world population, climate change, resource scarcity, and declining biodiversity, the Institute has a major role to play in building solutions and supporting the necessary acceleration of agricultural, food and environmental transitions.

Work environment, missions and activities

You will join a research unit specializing in food safety and the study of chemical contaminants. This multidisciplinary team brings together expertise in analytical chemistry, exposure science, toxicology, epidemiology, and modeling. It develops approaches combining cutting-edge analyses and modeling to better understand the transfer, metabolism, and effects of chemical substances throughout the food chain, all the way to humans.

This position is part of national and European research projects focused on assessing human exposure to contaminants, particularly through food. This work aims to better characterize long-term exposures and improve risk assessments related to substances taken individually or in mixtures, notably through the use of biomonitoring data.

The challenges of this position directly impact public health. You will contribute to a better understanding of the cumulative effects of chemical exposures throughout life and to developing tools to link exposures to health impacts. Your work will inform discussions on the assessment and management of chemical risks.

In this role, you will be responsible for the following activities:

Modeling and Simulation

• Develop, optimize, and apply physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models for various contaminants (e.g., PCBs, PFAS, PAHs)
• Simulate lifetime exposure trajectories using dietary exposure and biomonitoring data
• Explore different exposure scenarios (dietary habits, occupational exposures) and their effects on internal dose

Data Analysis and Integration

• Combine modeling results with epidemiological and toxicological data
• Contribute to the development of cumulative risk assessment frameworks for chemical mixtures
• Produce interpretable exposure and health risk indicators

Scientific Outreach and Collaboration

• Participate in national and European collaborative projects
• Contribute to scientific outreach, meetings, and dissemination activities
• Interact with partners from diverse disciplines

Occasional travel may be required as part of scientific collaborations.

Training and skills

You hold a PhD in toxicology, pharmacokinetics, environmental health, exposure science, computational biology, mathematical modeling, biostatistics, or a related field.

You have experience in developing or applying PBPK models, ideally applied to lifecycle chemical exposure or biomonitoring data, and have worked in a multidisciplinary research environment.

Skills:

• Develop and use PBPK models
• Analyze exposure and biomonitoring data
• Program and perform statistical analyses (R, Python, MATLAB, or equivalent)
• Interpret modeling results into exposure and risk indicators

Soft Skills:

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Rigorous and analytical mindset
• Ability to collaborate in an interdisciplinary environment
• Good written and oral communication skills in English
• Interest in environmental and public health issues

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from (depending on the type of contract and its duration):

- up to 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.

How to apply

I send my CV and my motivation letter