The broadaim of the post doc’s research is the development of human in-vivo ultra-high field (UHF) MRI imaging methodology and its application to investigating human neocortical architecture in health and in disease. The Post Doc research will be embedded in a larger team supported by a Dutch science foundation (NWO) VIDI grant. The aim of the grant is to map human cortical architecture with ex vivo MRI, validate ex vivo MRI results with light microscopy, and translate MRI architecture mapping from ex vivo to in vivo application. The CBClab team takes a multimodal multiscale approach where mesoscale (at 100 micron level) post-mortem 9.4T MRI data is combined with microscale (at 1 micron level) lightsheet microscope data of the same human cortical tissue samples. The specific objectives of the projects performed and co-supervised by the successful candidate are: * development of high-resolution UHF in-vivo MRI imaging protocols for cortical imaging with functional MRI and diffusion MRI, * translation of post-mortem (ex-vivo) 9.4T cortical MRI results, obtained with T1, T2 and diffusion contrasts, to in-vivo results, * perform human 7T and 9.4T sub-millimeter resolution functional MRI experiments, and * be intricately involved with lightsheet microscopy based validation of human cortical architecture models.

Requirements

We are looking for applicants with:

• A PhD in (MRI)physics, Neuroimaging or Cognitive Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering or related with a focus on high resolution MRI neuroimaging

• Extensive experience and proven skills, as shown by past publications, with at least one of

  • High resolution UHF imaging and echo planar imaging techniques

  • UHF field fMRI experiments and/or cortical depth-led fMRI analysis

  • Diffusion MRI acquisition protocols

  • Diffusion MRI microstructure (or biophysical multi-compartment) analysis

  • Post-mortem (ex-vivo) MRI and its validation with microscopy or histology techniques

• Excellent command of spoken and written English, good presentation and academic writing skills

• The ability to co-supervise bachelor, master and graduate (PhD-) students

• A keen interest in human cortical architecture and circuits

Fixed-term contract: 3 yrs.

The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > Support > UM employees

Depending on experience and qualification, the gross monthly salary is scale 10 (max. € 4.084,00), based on a full-time appointment.

Maastricht University

Established in 1976, Maastricht University (UM) is the most international university in the Netherlands. Despite being a young university, it has received very high international rankings. UM is considered the 6th best young university in the world. It ranks world number 59 in the domain of Health and Clinical Medicine. Its faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences has joined a cooperative alliance with Maastricht's academic hospital under the name Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+). The post holder will be embedded in CAPHRI, the largest of the six schools within MUMC+ that specifically focusses on health and healthcare research and within its research line Optimising Patient Care (http://www.caphri.nl).

Department of Cognitive Neuroscience

Maastricht University is a young growing university, recently ranked 6th on the Times Higher Education 100 under 50 ranking, showcasing rising stars which show great potential. It has recently added cutting edge MRI research facilities incorporating human 3T, 7T and 9.4T systems with extensive supporting infrastructure and equipment. Research at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN) is at the forefront internationally in applying MRI technology to neuroscience questions about the structure and function of the human brain. The department of Cognitive Neuroscience within FPN has an opening for a four year PhD student position starting in fall 2015. The successful candidate will be part of the computational brain connectivity lab (http://www.cbclab.org) led by Dr. Alard Roebroeck. The CBClab's research focusses on imaging cortical architecture and cortical microcircuits in the human brain, and understanding how these support computations that enable human perceptual and cognitive capabilities.