During the course of this PhD research, you will conduct a series of placebo-controlled studies in healthy volunteers with classical drugs and novel psychoactive substances (e.g., stimulants, cannabinoids, psychedelics) to assess their impact on brain function, as assessed with neuroimaging techniques, and metabolomics, as determined in blood. Data collected in these clinical drug trials will be used to develop a targeted imaging-metabolomics model that provides fast classifications of NPS and their effects on brain function. The predictive model will employ machine learning algorithms and will use the quantification of metabolomics and neuroimaging parameters to classify the similarity of a new drug to classical drugs.  

• Expected start date: 01-01-2020

Background

• MSc in Medicine and/or Computational Neuroscience, or a related field.   

Skills

• A scientific mindset, critical thinking capacity and a strong interest in psychopharmacology and computational neuroscience
• Excellent communication skills and the ability of working in a team;
• Experience with brain imaging techniques,  e.g. fMRI, functional connectivity assessments, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy ; 
• Experience with programming languages, object-oriented programming, data integration and machine learning.  

·        Experience with clinical drug studies is a plus

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

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 http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > Support > UM employees.

Maastricht University

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 18,000 students and 4,300 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience.

Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology (NP&PP

The department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology (NP&PP) is one of the research departments of the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. We perform fundamental and applied behavioural and cognitive neuroscience research on the brain-cognition relationship and assess biological mechanisms that underlie cognitive, affective, and behavioural functions by means of controlled pharmacological interventions. For more information on psychopharmacological research lines in our department see our website: https://psychopharmacologymaastricht.com/