Description:
Neural Control of Freeze and Fight/Flight Decisions (0,8 - 1,0 fte)
Responsibilities:
Freezing and fight/flight are two distinct behavioral defense strategies that are critical to survival. We know a great deal about the function and neural control of freeze and fight/flight reactions in animals. However, how humans switch neurally between parasympathetically dominated freezing and sympathetically dominated fight/flight remains largely unstudied. The present PhD project investigates the neurocognitive control of human freeze and fight/flight reactions using fMRI combined with various psychophysiological measures (heart rate, pupil dilation, etc.) and experimental learning paradigms (including fear conditioning).
As a PhD student, you will be responsible for designing experiments, collecting, analysing and reporting the behavioural, psychophysiological and fMRI data. You will write at least four papers on the data, resulting in a doctoral dissertation. You will be required to devote about 10% of your working time to teaching, including supervising students writing BA or MA theses on the same topic.
The project will be supervised by Prof. K. Roelofs and Dr. E. Hermans, and will be embedded in the Experimental Psychopathology and Affective Neuroscience (EPAN) lab group of the Experimental Psychopathology and Treatment programme of the Behavioural Science Institute (BSI) and the Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour.
Work environment:
The Faculty of Social Sciences is one of the largest faculties at Radboud University Nijmegen. The Faculty’s ambition is to become one of the top social science institutes in Europe, providing high-quality research and study programmes that rank among the best in the Netherlands. The current project is a collaboration between the Faculty’s Behavioural Science Institute (BSI) and the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour. You will be appointed by the BSI. The BSI participates in the Donders Institute, which offers cognitive neuroscientists a unique, multidisciplinary working and learning environment with opportunities for developing expertise in a diversity of research areas and techniques. It is equipped with four MRI scanners (7T, 3T, 1.5T), a 275-channel MEG system, an EEG-TMS laboratory, several (MR-compatible) EEG systems, and high-performance computational facilities. The BSI received excellent ratings in a recent research evaluation. Its mission is to conduct top-level research on the fundamental principles and processes that govern human behaviour. In addition to this fundamental aim, we aim at societal relevance (to influence behaviour). BSI has state-of-the-art research facilities for observational studies, experiments, eye-tracking studies, EEG measurements and GSR recording, psychobiological research, and behavioural measurements in both real and 3D virtual environments.
What we expect from you:
You should have:
- a Master’s degree in Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, or Biomedical Sciences;
- an interest in brain functioning and psychophysiology;
- affinity and (preferably) experience with fMRI;
- fluency in Matlab;
- the ambition to become a top scientist;
- a good command of written and spoken English;
- excellent social skills.
What we have to offer:
We offer you:
- employment: 0,8 - 1,0 fte;
- in addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus;
- the starting salary is €2,042 per month on a full-time basis; the salary will increase to €2,612 per month in the fourth year;
- you will be appointed as a PhD student (1 FTE) for a total of 4 or 5 years (0.8 FTE). Your performance will be evaluated after 18 months. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 or 3.5 years;
- as part of the contract, you will participate in educational activities (i.e. teaching students);
- you will be classified as a PhD student (promovendus) in the Dutch university job-ranking system (UFO).
Please follow these links for more information:
Applications:Are you interested?
It is Radboud University Nijmegen's policy to only accept applications by e-mail. Please send your application, stating vacancy number 24.72.12, to
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No commercial propositions please.
