Cognitive training in Parkinson study (COGTIPS) – neuroimaging-based prediction and explanation of training efficacy.

Your challenge

The project is part of COGTIPS (COGTIPS), a clinical trial that investigates the efficacy of online cognitive training on short- and long-term cognitive and psychiatric functioning of PD patients. Pre- and post-treatment neuroimaging were acquired from a subset of these patients (inclusion nearly completed). The aim of the project is to investigate the relation between training-induced cognitive improvement and neuroimaging-related changes of the structural and functional brain network. In addition, the project aims to understand and predict who will benefit from the intervention based on baseline brain network and other individual characteristics (e.g. cognitive reserve). Follow-up measurements are acquired from all PD patients to investigate the long-term effects of training and its ability to postpone or halt cognitive decline. As part of this project you will perform and supervise these follow-up assesments in collaboration with the PhD student on the project (drs. Tim van Balkom, neuropsychologist, Gz psychologist in training) and a team of BSc/Msc students. You will also be responsible for the technical support and supervision of related imaging projects on PD and other disorders under investigation in our research team (OCD, PTSD) in strong collaboration with dr. Chris Vriend and prof. dr. Odile A. van den Heuvel.

As post-doc you are responsible for:

• Processing and analyzing longitudinal multimodal neuroimaging data (DWI, rsFMRI, sMRI);
• Perform and supervise follow-up neuropsychological assesments;
• Set-up machine learning pipelines in collaboration with department of Anatomy & Neurosciences and hpc expertise center (www.hpcexpertisecentrum.nl);
• Supervision of BSC/MSc students and PhD students working on Parkinson-related (imaging) projects.

• A MSc degree in (cognitive) neuroscience, biomedical science, physics, computational science, arteficial intelligence, behavioral science or related fields; plus a PhD degree in brain imaging (MRI);
• Highly experienced with acquiring and analyzing structural and functional MRI data;
• Experience with programming and data analysis (e.g. Matlab, bash/unix/linux, python);
• Experience with machine learning and/or computational modelling;
• Experience with (neuro)psychological assesments and network (graph) analysis are advantages;
• Excellent communicative and cooperative skills in both Dutch (to perform the neuropsychological assesments) and English;
• Ambitious and keen to work together with others in and outside the lab, also including educational tasks;
• Supportive work attitude.

Salary Scale 10: 2750 tot 4361 euro gross when employed full-time (depending on qualifications and experience).

VUmc offers an attractive benefits package with 8.3% end-of-year bonus and 8% holiday pay. We also provide you with the opportunity to follow further training and development. For more detailed information, please visit: working conditions.

We offer an initial contract for 12 months that can be extended (after evaluation) for another 12 months.