The project will investigate the neural mechanisms by which attention and reward gate learning in the human brain using the dual techniques of high-field MRI (7T) and single-unit recordings from epilepsy patients implanted with depth electrodes. The imaging work will be conducted together with the Spinoza Center for Neuroimaging and single-unit recordings will be performed in collaboration with the VUmc medical center and UMC Utrecht.

PhD candidates will be expected to have programming experience (e.g. MATLAB) and a Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. Neuroscience, (Neuro) Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Computational Neuroscience, Physics). Postdoctoral candidates will be expected to have experience with fMRI techniques and/or electrophysiological techniques in humans or animals and a solid background in cognitive neuroscience. Experience with computational modelling would also be considered a plus. All candidates must be able to speak Dutch to a reasonable level as the project involves closely working with Dutch patients.

We strive for a workforce that reflects the diversity in society in terms of, among other things, age, sex, sexual orientation and cultural background. We would appreciate receiving letters from candidates who might widen the diversity of our team.

Fixed-term contract: Postdoc position: full time for a period of 3 years PhD position: full time for a period of 4 years.

Postdoctoral position: This will be commensurate with experience and institutional guidelines based on the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities; CAO NU) in scale 10.

PhD position: The gross monthly salary coming with a full-time appointment will amount to a minimum of € 2.222,- in the first year to € 2.840,- in the fourth year (P scale of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).

A 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus are excluded. We offer an extensive package of fringe benefits.

NIN

The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN) is a non-profit research institute that falls under the umbrella of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). The institute is comprised of 17 labs, focusing on the brain and the visual system. Our research includes topics such as development, plasticity and ageing, and spans both fundamental neuroscience and clinical investigations. The NIN includes the Netherlands Brain Bank and the Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging.

In the Vision and Cognition research lab, headed by Pieter Roelfsema, we investigate visual cognition through a wide variety of techniques. This includes the measurement and modulation of brain activity in awake behaving monkeys, computational modelling of brain mechanisms, and psychophysics and clinical work in human subjects. herseninstituut.nl/onderzoek/onderzoeksgroepen/roelfsema-groep/