The Research Project

Symptoms that patients attribute to the environment while medical 

examination shows no bodily malfunction are labeled as “idiopathic 

environmental intolerance” (IEI). People suffering from IEI single out 

several agents from the environment, including chemical substances and 

electromagnetic fields, which they blame for a wide range of chronic and 

unspecific symptoms such as diffuse pain, fatigue, dizziness, dyspnea, 

or palpitations. IEI is an emerging health issue and specific diagnostic 

tools as well as evidence-based treatment programs are still lacking.

In the last years, several works suggested that cognitive biases 

contribute to IEI. In this research project funded by the French 

Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale and the Agence Nationale de 

Sécurité Sanitaire, we will test the relevance of a cognitive model 

based on the assumption that symptoms of IEI result from impairments in 

interoceptive awareness. The project will combine behavioral 

experiments, computational modeling of behavior and beliefs, and the 

development and testing of a dedicated treatment program with Cognitive 

Behavioral Therapy (CBT).



Open positions

Two PhD students and one post-doc fellow will be recruited in September 

2022 for 3 years. Ideal candidates are highly motivated to work on this 

project, good team players open to an interdisciplinary approach between 

medicine, cognitive science, and computational approaches, and speak and 

write English fluently.

One of the three open positions is still available for a PhD candidate. 

The applicant is expected to show a good knowledge of scientific methods 

and statistics for behavioral experiments in cognitive science, 

psychology, or a related field. Experience with psychometric testing of 

patients, data analysis, and programming in Matlab or similar software 

is advantageous. The candidate’s main missions will be to program, run 

and analyze behavioral tests with patients suffering from IEI and 

healthy controls, involving interoceptive tasks and tests of cognitive 

biases.

A high level of proactive involvement will be expected from all members 

of the team, which will be expected to be physically present for the 

term of the project.



The supervising team

An international medical and scientific supervision is organized with 

complementary skills for this interdisciplinary project that targets an 

emerging field of medicine. The main medical and scientific supervisor 

is Pr Cédric Lemogne, assisted by Dr Victor Pitron (both psychiatrists, 

MD, PhD, Hôtel-Dieu, Paris). Pr Lemogne will be the PhD director. Dr 

Liane Schmidt and Dr Leonie Koban (both PI researchers at the 

Control-Interoception-Attention team at the Paris Brain Institute, 

Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital, Paris) will provide additional scientific 

supervision, especially for the work on computational modelling. Pr 

Damien Léger, and Dr Lynda Bensefa-Colas (both Occupational and 

Environmental physicians, MD, PhD, Hôtel-Dieu, Paris) will provide 

additional medical supervision about IEI. Three senior European 

researchers will offer monthly supervision: Pr Omer Van den Bergh 

(Leuven) and Pr Michael Witthöft (Mainz) for the work on the behavioral 

testing and the treatment program, Pr Giovanni Pezzulo (Rome) for the 

work on computational modelling.



The work environment

The research team will be based at the VIFASOM lab of the Hôtel-Dieu, a 

beautiful hospital in the heart of ancient neighborhoods of Paris, where 

patients will come for testing and treatment. The lab currently houses 3 

PI and > 10 PhD students and engineers working on various fields of 

cognitive science. This will offer the opportunity for fruitful 

discussions and collaborations and a stimulating workplace. Nearby, the 

Paris Brain Institute (Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital, Paris) and the Ecole 

Normale Supérieure also offer many opportunities for exciting scientific 

training and conferences in cognitive science. The PhD students will 

have courses and scientific supervision at the Doctorate School Bio SPC 

of Paris.

All supervisors endorse values of equity and diversity, and are 

committed to ensuring a safe, welcoming, and inclusive workplace. 

Everyone is therefore strongly encouraged to apply.



Application : CV, motivational and recommandation letters should be sent 

to Dr Victor Pitron : [log in to unmask] Applications are reviewed 

on a rolling basis and all candidates will receive full consideration.



-- 

Dr Victor Pitron MD, PhD

Psychiatre, Chef de Clinique Assistant, Service de pathologies professionnelles et environnementales, Hôtel-Dieu, Paris