PhD Position: Translating Brain Circuits of Threat to Human Neurofeedback

This PhD position at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and Maastricht University Medical Center offers a unique opportunity to bridge fundamental neuroscience and clinical psychiatry. The project investigates how brain circuits regulate threat responses and aims to translate findings from mouse models to humans using real-time fMRI neurofeedback. The successful candidate will work across two institutions: the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (Amsterdam) and Maastricht UMC+, combining causal circuit neuroscience in mice with human neuroimaging. The goal is to develop biologically grounded neurofeedback interventions for stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and PTSD. The position is ideal for ambitious researchers passionate about translational neuroscience and interdisciplinary collaboration.

• Identify brain regions regulating defensive behavior in mouse models using advanced techniques like optogenetics, viral tracing, and fiber photometry.
• Translate findings from mouse models to humans by developing real-time fMRI neurofeedback paradigms targeting identified brain regions.
• Conduct behavioral analysis of innate defensive responses and perform quantitative analysis of neural and behavioral data.
• Collaborate with clinical psychiatrists and psychologists to design neurofeedback interventions for stress-related psychiatric disorders.
• Present research findings at international conferences and publish results in peer-reviewed journals.
• Work across two institutions (Amsterdam and Maastricht) to integrate animal and human neuroscience approaches.