PhD Candidate in Neuromodulation of Brain Oscillations during Cognition

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PhD Candidate in Neuromodulation of Brain Oscillations during Cognition

Welcome to Maastricht University!

Would you like to know how human behavior is explained by neural oscillations and how we can modulate them using non-invasive brain stimulation? Join us, and you will study neural oscillation dynamics in relation to working memory performance, using real-time combined EEG and non-invasive brain stimulation.

PhD Candidate in Neuromodulation of Brain Oscillations during Cognition

Our goal: We aim to investigate the role of prefrontal theta oscillation phase in cognition, with a focus on working memory. Specifically, we test the idea of phase coding, which proposes that oscillation phase encodes specific aspects of memory, like location and temporal order. While established in animal work, you will test whether this phenomenon can also be observed in healthy human cognition.

Your colleagues: You will become part of the PRECHRON project, funded by the ERC starting grant. You will work under the supervision of Dr. Miles Wischnewski and collaborate with fellow PhD’s and postdocs of the lab. Also, you will be part of the Neuroplasticity, Synchrony, and Cognition group (link), part of the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. As such, you will be part of a community of experts and work together with other PI’s (e.g., Prof. Dr. Alexander Sack, Prof. Dr. Teresa Schuhmann, Dr. Sanne ten Oever, Dr. Inge Leunissen, Dr. Felix Duecker, and Dr. Jelena Trajkovic), Postdocs, and PhD’s.

In the PRECHRON project, you will be part of a team that uses and develops applications of non-invasive brain stimulation (including TMS and tACS) combined with EEG to study human cognition. Current “closed-loop” implementation, where TMS is applied at specific oscillatory states, will be expanded and applied during cognitive testing. With this methodology, the focus will be on understanding the role of phase coding in working memory. We ask you to help with the development of the TMS-EEG technology and apply it during working memory experiments.

What you do

Conducting data collection and analysis

Writing scientific papers

Presenting your findings at meetings, seminars, and conferences

Teaching at Bachelor’s and Master’s level

Collaborating with members from the group and department

Are you ready to set the course for the years ahead? Then we’d love to meet you.

What you bring

You are looking for a 4-year PhD journey. We are interested in who you are and what you bring. Do you recognize yourself in this?

Holds a Master’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Psychology, or a closely related field.

Has knowledge of and/or practical experience with EEG, non-invasive brain stimulation, or other physiological measurement techniques used in human research. Experience with TMS and/or tACS, EEG data collection, or combined EEG–brain stimulation paradigms is an advantage.

Has knowledge of human cognition and working memory, demonstrated, for example, through relevant coursework, a research project, thesis, or previous research experience.

Has experience with programming for research purposes, for example using MATLAB, Python, or a comparable programming language, for data analysis, experimental task development, or processing experimental data.

Is a team player, but can also work well independently.

Has a strong command of written and spoken English (CEFR level C1 or higher). Proficiency in Dutch is an advantage.

What we offer

As a PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience at At Maastricht University, you’ll work in an international, open, and engaged environment. We offer:

A 12-month contract (1.0 FTE) with the prospect of a 3-year extension based on mutual satisfaction.

A gross monthly salary between €3.204 and €4.051 (based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week). 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus.

29 vacation days (based on full-time), four additional days off (Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day), and the possibility to accrue up to 12 extra days through compensation hours.

Flexible working hours, a home office allowance, and the option to work from home.

Freedom and space to shape your work independently and develop your ideas.

A close-knit community of colleagues to collaborate and grow with.

A solid pension plan via ABP, company fitness schemes, and access to various university sports facilities.

An inspiring work environment in the heart of Europe.

About the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN)

At FPN, we share a curiosity about the human brain and behaviour. Together with our students, we explore how our brains function and learn why we do what we do. We connect perspectives and contribute to living together in society.

Interested?

Want to know more about this position or what it’s like to work at our university? Reach out to Miles Wischnewski via miles.wischnewski@maastrichtuniversity.nl. The end date of the publication is 27 September 2026.

When uploading your CV and motivation letter, please also include the names and contact details of two referees.

The preferred start date in the spring of 2026. If you're graduating soon, we still encourage you to apply.

Apply now via the button below. We look forward to getting to know you!

About Maastricht University

At Maastricht University, we collaboratively seek solutions to help move the world forward. We do this with 23,300 students and 5,400 employees across 5 regional locations, 6 faculties, and more than 70 research institutes. We encourage you to push boundaries and discover new opportunities for yourself and the world around you. Together, we can find the answers for tomorrow.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

At Maastricht University, we prefer to contact potential candidates directly. We therefore kindly ask that no agencies or intermediaries submit offers or approaches.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.

Job Type: Academic

Faculty/Service Center: Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience

Closing date: 27-09-2026

FTE min: 1,0

FTE max: 1,0

Salary min: €3204,00

Salary max: €4051,00

ID job: 3686

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Job Type: Academic

Faculty/Service Center: Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience

Closing date: 27-09-2026

FTE min: 1,0

FTE max: 1,0

Salary min: €3204,00

Salary max: €4051,00

ID job: 3686

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