PhD Candidate in Cognitive Neuroscience

We are looking for a PhD candidate with a strong interest in the cognitive neuroscience of somatosensory perception. The overall goal of the project is to understand the neuroscience of gargalesis (tickle) perception in humans. By combining haptics, psychophysics, neuroimaging, brain stimulation, and statistical modelling, the project will test specific hypotheses regarding the perceptual and neural characterisation of gargalesis sensations.

You will be involved in designing behavioural and fMRI experiments including psychophysical, physiological and behavioural recordings. You will also be involved in the collection and, most notably, analysis of psychophysical, physiological, behavioural and fMRI data.

You will be embedded in the research group of Konstantina Kilteni at the Donders Institute’s Centre for Cognition. You will be expected to have the background knowledge, skills and motivation that will allow you to fully utilise and learn from the rich research environment that the Donders Institute provides (including its intellectual and technical infrastructure).

You are motivated to develop into an independent scholar and scientist of the brain mechanisms of human somatosensation, who will be ready to acquire the skills required for conducting all phases of research, including literature review, conceptual and experimental design, coordination of study logistics, data collection, data analysis, and data interpretation and publication. You will also be expected to be a team player, working closely with multiple research group leaders, postdoctoral fellows, PhD candidates, research assistants, and Research Master’s students.