MSCA-DN PhD Mapping Behavioral and Brain Network Dysconnectivity in Psychiatry

As a doctoral candidate you wil:

• Analyze multimodal clinical data from the GRIP program, a multidisciplinary treatment program for people hearing voices and recovering from psychosis. Key topics may include conceptual development of methods to link multilevel data including EEG recordings as well as symptom-, functioning-, and personal recovery indicators.
• Study how disconnectivity in brain networks relates to symptom networks and recovery trajectories in psychiatric patients.
• Apply and further develop methods from network science, machine learning, and computational psychiatry.
• Explore how neural, behavioral, and clinical dynamics co-evolve during treatment.
• Contribute to building a conceptual and methodological framework for personalized, recovery-oriented care.
• Collaborate closely with clinicians, data managers, and methodologists; translate findings into clinically meaningful metrics and exploratory decision-support prototypes.
• Present results internally and at international conferences; write and submit first-author papers to peer-reviewed journals.

As part of this PhD, you are invited to develop your own research focus within the broader project, allowing you to actively shape its scientific direction.

You are a motivated candidate who meets the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) eligibility criteria and brings:

• MSc (or equivalent) in neuroscience, psychology, medical humanities, or a related field;
• Strong interest in personalized psychiatry, network science, and recovery-oriented research;
• Interest in integrating neural, behavioral, and recovery-related outcomes;
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work in multidisciplinary and international teams;
• Motivation to not only conduct analyses, but also help shape the conceptual and methodological direction of the project;
• Preferred experience with EEG analysis and/or symptom networks; and
• Preferred skills in programming, quantitative analysis, and handling complex datasets.

Strict MSCA eligibility requirements:

• You must not hold a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment.
• You must comply with the mobility rule: you have not resided or carried out your main activity in the Netherlands for more than 12 months of the past 36 months.
• You may undertake secondments for up to one-third of the fellowship duration.

The maximum salary for this position (36 - 36 hours) is € 3.108,00 gross per month based on full-time employment.

In addition, we offer an annual benefit of 8.3%, holiday allowance, travel expenses and career opportunities. The terms of employment are in accordance with the Cao University Medical Centers (UMC).

This project will be primarily hosted at the Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht, within the GRIP program. An innovative clinical framework integrating symptom monitoring, functioning, personal recovery, and neurophysiology to support personalized treatment. You will join a multidisciplinary team working at the intersection of network neuroscience, clinical practice, computational modeling, and recovery-oriented psychiatry.

Opportunities for secondments
Secondments can be:

• Dr. Sara Green’s group (University of Copenhagen) – focusing on conceptual and methodological foundations of symptom networks and translational reasoning.
• Dr. Lara Keuck’s group (University of Bielefeld) – focusing on philosophical aspects of translational research and interpretation of clinical evidence.

These secondments provide unique opportunities to strengthen conceptual, analytical, and interdisciplinary expertise.

The TRANSCEND network offers training, workshops, and international collaboration opportunities to support your scientific and professional development.

UMC Utrecht has an open and inclusive culture, welcoming all candidates and striving to provide equal opportunities.