PhD Position in Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation and Computational Affective Neuroscience

Radboud University is offering a PhD position as part of the ERC Advanced Grant project HEART2ADAPT, based at the Donders Institute and the Behavioural Science Institute. The project investigates how the body's autonomic stress state shapes decision-making under threat and examines the causal role of key brain nodes using transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS). The successful candidate will contribute to experimental protocol development, physiological and neuroimaging data collection, and computational modeling of behavioral and neural responses. Responsibilities also include collaborating within an interdisciplinary international team and potentially mentoring students.

• Develop experimental protocols and test causal mechanisms of decision-making under stress using transcranial ultrasound stimulation.
• Collect and analyze real-time brain and bodily signal data, including functional neuroimaging and peripheral psychophysiological measures.
• Build and apply computational models to behavioral and neural datasets to capture stress-induced responses.
• Collaborate closely with researchers across the Donders Institute, Behavioural Science Institute, and international partner institutions.
• Contribute to academic writing, project reports, and dissemination of research findings in peer-reviewed venues.
• Participate in the mentoring and supervision of Bachelor's and Master's students.