This PhD project is funded by the Herbert Simon Research Institute of the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. It was ranked #1 within the HSRI theme “Personalized prevention and care” and involves collaboration between four departments, namely: Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Department of Methodology and Statistics, Department of Developmental Psychology and the Department of Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence. The PhD student will be closely involved in all of these departments but will have an their appointment at the department of Cognitive Neuropsychology.

The successful candidate will receive a multidisciplinary training that will equip her/him with a strong profile for a career inside or outside of academia. The student will help us to develop, adapt and validate our online “famous faces test” in younger and older adults as well as in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and/or early dementia. He/she will analyze large datasets via cutting-edge statistical learning and data science methods and compare cognitive decline in normal and pathological aging. This project will add to the scientific knowledge about how best to identify dementia early. 

We are looking for a highly motivated, inquisitive, enthusiastic, proactive, and result-driven person. Applicants must have a relevant MSc degree (preferably a research master), for example in cognitive neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, medical psychology, and/or in social/health sciences. 

• Excellent research skills and data analytical abilities, including in-depth knowledge of statistical software (e.g., R, Mplus, SPSS)
• Excellent project management and organization skills 
• Experience with administering and scoring standard neuropsychological tests and questionnaires
• Excellent communication skills and the willingness to work in a cross-disciplinary team 
• Interest in high-quality research on dementia and aging
• Interest in engaging in education (20% of total time), such as thesis supervision
• Proficiency in Dutch and English 

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

The PhD candidate will be employed by Tilburg University for a period of four years. Tilburg University has an excellent policy concerning terms of employment. The appointment is intended to lead to the completion of a PhD thesis. . The PhD appointment begins with a period of 12 months. Continuation of the appointment with another 36 months will be based on performance evaluation. The gross salary for the PhD position amounts to € 2.325 per month in the first year, rising to € 2.972 per month in the fourth year, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours per week).

Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (TSB) is a modern, specialized university. The teaching and research of the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences are organized around the themes of Adaptive societies, organizations, and workers, Healthy life span, Personalized prevention and care. The School's inspiring working environment challenges its workers to realize their ambitions; involvement and cooperation are essential to achieve this.

Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology

The Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology of Tilburg University consists of a vibrant mix of people interested in cognitive and clinical neuropsychology. Our department is an intellectually exciting and productive group, advancing fundamental understanding in cognitive neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology. Our research is highly recognized both nationally and internationally. Our multicenter research program focuses on the cause, prediction and treatment of cognitive dysfunctions in different patient populations. It is set in a multidisciplinary environment, takes into account a plethora of variables (such as presurgical, sociodemographic, clinical, imaging, and (neuro)psychological variables) and is funded by a multitude of organizations. The goal of the program is to prevent cognitive dysfunction in patients, to enhance the diagnostics and treatment of existing cognitive dysfunction and to minimize the impact of cognitive dysfunction on patient and society.