The Brain Connectivity and Connectomics team at the Department of Complex Trait Genetics at the Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (
www.cncr.nl), invites applications for
2 PhD positions in the study of
human brain evolution and the origins of human cognitive brain functions. This project focuses on understanding human brain evolution and how evolutionary procesess have shaped the organization of
human cognitive brain networks and their cognitive functions and vulnerability to mental conditions. By applying neuroimaging, genetics and
network neuroscience analyses to
MRI data from multiple species, the project aims to study the
evolutionary basis of human cognition—including
language, working memory, theory-of-mind, and the specialized brain networks supporting these processes. One candidate will focus on the genetics side of the research question, the other candidate will focus on the neuroimaging and network neuroscience part.
Working in a team, the joint aim of the project is to gain insight into the comparative effects of human brain connectome organization and the integration of this data with recent functional and structural connectome properties and recent evolutionary genetic discoveries, utilizing large-scale bioinformatic databases and resources.
Background: The human brain is a highly complex network of interconnected regions—the
connectome. Over the past decade, advances in
network neuroscience and
connectomics have allowed researchers to map and study the organization of brain networks, revealing how connectivity underpins cognition and behavior. The emerging field of
comparative connectomics seeks to understand how these brain networks overlap and differ across species, providing insights into the
evolutionary origins of brain function and the neural basis of cognitive functions such as language, working memory, and theory-of-mind. Key questions include how brain systems have evolved across species, which connections are uniquely developed in humans, and how these patterns relate to evolutionary changes in genetic and molecular mechanisms.
In this project, you will investigate these questions by analyzing large-scale MRI from multiple species, making specific species-comparisons (for example chimpanzees vs humans) and applying and developing state-of-the-art methods in network analysis, connectomics, and computational neuroscience. You will collaborate within a motivated, multidisciplinary team of PhD students and postdocs with expertise in biology bioinformatics, AI, genetics, neuroimaging, computational neuroscience, psychology, and statistics, together contributing to a deeper understanding of the basis of human brain connectivity and brain function.
You have affinity with working with large datasets and have knowledge of data analysis and programming (MATLAB, Python, R, or other scientific coding/programming). Affinity with computational neuroscience, connectomics and/or Machine Learning is appreciated.
Our goal - perform connectome analysis on neuroimaging data\integrate connectome findings across multiple speices
- work on developing new statistical methods to compare networks across conditions
- apply bioinformatic tools for integrating results from different biological resources
- think critically
- work with highly motivated and enthusiastic team members
- actively take part in discussions and have frequent contact with CNCR neuroimaging, genetics and neuroscience labs
- authoring and co-authoring manuscripts submitted to high quality journals
- support (10% of time) to teaching
- frequently present work at international communities (at conference calls, or conferences)