Postdoctoral Researcher in Ultrasonic Neuromodulation at the Donders Centre for Cognition

Employment

0.8 - 1.0 FTE

Gross monthly salary

€ 3,974 - € 5,439

Required background

PhD

Organizational unit

Faculty of Social Sciences

Application deadline

01 December 2022

Apply now
Do you want to develop the future of neuromodulation? Do you want to lay the foundations for a new key technology in neuroscience and medicine? Focused ultrasound holds the promise of non-invasive deep brain stimulation with unprecedented precision. Two critical challenges remain: to develop new brain-inspired protocols and establish principles for individualised target engagement. Help us make these promises a reality as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Ultrasonic Neuromodulation.
Brain disorders affect one in four people. Treatment is often less effective or more invasive than desired. We urgently need new therapeutic options that are non-invasive, yet highly targeted. Here, focused ultrasound holds an exciting promise. Ultrasonic waves can be safely focused through the human skull to modulate neuronal activity with unprecedented precision. In the footsteps of this technological innovation, the critical challenge in moving from promise to reality now lies in designing effective neuromodulation protocols.
You will take a leading role in developing the next generation neuromodulation: transcranial ultrasonic stimulation. Inspired by neurophysiology you will develop new protocols to modulate brain activity, plasticity and connectivity. We will stimulate the rhythm of brain oscillations, and will capitalise on the wiring of the brain itself to develop circuit-level manipulation. These protocols will be targeted and titrated to the individual using computational models to capture the physics of ultrasound and the physiology of neuromodulation. You will put these protocols to the test using behavioural, neuroimaging and neurostimulation approaches. We will focus on the subcortical-cortical motor circuit implicated in movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
This key role in your own research line will be matched by your leadership in the lab. You will have the opportunity to co-supervise PhD candidates, research assistants and MSc students. You will help build an environment for others to be inspired and grow. Your organisational and communication skills will bring a team with diverse backgrounds and skills together to work on collaborative projects. This teamwork is both hands-on in the lab, and online through shared code and data analysis.
You will publish your work in peer-reviewed journals and present it at international symposia, but your impact will reach further, for example to open-science practices, public software platforms, international standardisation, or patient co-creation.
Profile

• You should have a PhD in neuroscience, medicine, psychology, engineering, or a related field.
• You have hands-on experience in neuromodulation, preferably non-invasive brain stimulation in humans.
• You have expertise in neuroanatomy, neurophysiology or neuroimaging.
• You have the ability to quickly gain expertise in focused ultrasound.
• You have strong quantitative skills for data analysis.
• Scientific coding and software skills are highly valued, for example in Python, R, or Matlab.
• You are resilient. You see technical hurdles as challenges to overcome, and not as setbacks to endure.
• You enjoy science communication.
• You have a hands-on mentality, a practical mindset, and finely tuned problem-solving skills.
• You show commitment and have a positive, open and collaborative attitude.
• Good communication skills and a strong command of English are essential.
• You have a good sense of humour.

We are
We are a world-class interfaculty research centre that houses more than 700 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the human mind. Research at the Donders Institute is focused around four themes: 1. Language and communication , 2. Perception, action and decision-making , 3. Development and lifelong plasticity , 4. Natural computing and neurotechnology . Excellent, state-of-the-art research facilities are available for the broad range of neuroscience research that is being conducted at the Donders Institute. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary, supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. English is the lingua franca at the Institute.
Radboud University
We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!
We offer

• It concerns an employment for 0.8 - 1.0 FTE.
• The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of € 3,974 and a maximum of € 5,439 based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant work experience (salary scale 11 ).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• It concerns a temporary employment for 3 years.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services . Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.
• You will be part of the Donders Graduate School for Cognitive Neuroscience

Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions . You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.
Would you like more information?
For questions about the position, please contact Lennart Verhagen, Assistant Professor, at lennart.verhagen [at] donders.ru.nl.
Practical information and applying
You can apply until 1 December 2022, exclusively using the button below. Kindly address your application to Lennart Verhagen. Please fill in the application form and attach the following documents:

• A letter of motivation.
• Your CV.

The first round of interviews will take place on Thursday 8 December. You would preferably begin employment on 1 February 2023.
We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure . It offers a rough outline of what you can expect during the application process, how we handle your personal data and how we deal with internal and external candidates.
Apply now Application deadline 01 December 2022

We would like to recruit our new colleague ourselves. Acquisition in response to this vacancy will not be appreciated.

Dr Verhagen, L. (Lennart)
Assistant Professor
l.verhagen [at] donders.ru.nl

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Last modified: 21 November 2022
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