We are seeking a PhD student to join our interdisciplinary team and explore the complex relationship between behavior and brain health. This project focuses on developing novel measures of brain health by analyzing everyday behavioral patterns.
What you will do

What you will do

Your research will extend our work on smartphone interactions to people with epilepsy, investigating how significant life events—such as seizures or daily stressors—are reflected in day-to-day behavior. This long-term study will involve collecting behavioral, physiological, and brain measurements over several years from a large cohort.

As a PhD student in a new domain of research we expect you to:

• Conduct cutting-edge research in neuro-behavioral sciences using advanced analytical techniques.
• Collaborate with clinical researchers and collect data from a large cohort using diverse empirical tools.
• Analyze rich datasets to reveal how key events influence behavioral trajectories.
• Maintain transparent scientific records, including developing software repositories for data processing.
• Present your findings effectively to both academic peers and the general public.
• Contribute to academic excellence at Leiden University by assisting in teaching and supervising Bachelor's and Master's thesis projects.

Where you will work
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences consists of five institutes: Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Political Science, and Psychology. The faculty has approximately 7000 students and 1000 staff members. Within the institutes, not only education is provided but also groundbreaking research is conducted that pushes the boundaries of our understanding of human behaviour and societal structures. What makes our faculty unique is the diversity of research topics, the various styles of teaching, and the way professional support is organized; this provides you with the opportunity to explore and develop your interests and expertise. Visit our website for an impression: Welcome to the Leiden Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences - Leiden University.

Institute of Psychology
The Institute of Psychology educates new generations to contribute to the challenges of our society, now and in the future, based on leading behavioral scientific research and education. This is achieved through collaboration both within and outside our institute in the field of Psychology and related research areas, both fundamental and applied. The broad bachelor's program and a wide variety of master's specializations also contribute to this goal. Within the institute and the academic community, there is a committed and passionate atmosphere. The themes of Health and Well-being, Social-Cognitive-Affective Decision Making, Development and Learning, and Advanced Behavioral Research Methods guide research and education. The institute values conducting these activities in a safe and inclusive environment and provides space for new developments such as open science, recognition and appreciation, and interdisciplinarity, which are anchored in its strategy. With approximately 5,000 students and 600 staff members, the institute includes the Institute Office, the Department of Bachelor Education, and 6 units for education and research: Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Social, Economic and Organisational Psychology, and Methodology and Statistics.

We are seeking a PhD student to join our small and focused team of researchers, dedicated to leveraging day-to-day behavior captured on smartphones to understand brain function. Our team is passionate about developing novel analytical frameworks to make these behavioral signals interpretable, using a wide range of approaches from EEG to complexity science. This project will focus on extending our research to people with epilepsy, in close collaboration with our clinical partners. We encourage you to review our latest publications to get an impression of our work.

What you bring
We are looking for a candidate with a strong track record in scientific exploration who is excited about our research. You should have:

• An MSc or equivalent degree in Neuroscience, Psychology, Data Science, or a related field.
• A keen interest in neuro-behavioral sciences and a passion for behavioral signals.
• Demonstrable experience in advanced data analysis and data collection.
• Familiarity with machine learning and proficiency in Python or MATLAB.
• Excellent communication skills; proficiency in Dutch is desirable but not required.
• The capacity to thrive in a complex and dynamic research environment.

If you immediately recognise yourself in this profile, or if do you not quite meet all the requirements, but you believe that this is the right job for you, we look forward to your application!

What we offer
Our goal is to work together to create a transparent and inclusive work environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Our organisation is always evolving and we need your ideas for improvement and innovation to take us further. We want to devote attention to your personal development.

You can expect an enjoyable job within the socially relevant world of education and research. The University's challenging and international work environment is located just steps away from Leiden’s lively city centre or the bustling city centre of The Hague. We also want to work with you to devote attention to your health and vitality, for example with the fun activities we organise through Healthy University.

We also offer:

• An employment contract for (1.0 FTE) as a PhD candidate, initially for a period of 1 year, with the possibility of extension for 3 years after a positive evaluation. This contract falls under the CLA of Dutch Universities;
• A salary of a minimum of € 2901 and a maximum of € 3707 gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (pay scale P in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities);
• A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
• Flexible working hours: as a standard, you are entitled to a minimum of 29 leave days on the basis of a full-time working week of 38 hours; you can also save for extra leave, for example by working 40 hours a week, and in this way accrue an extra 96 leave hours, or exchange 96 leave hours for a 36-hour week.
• Lots of options when it comes to secondary employment conditions; we can, for example, discuss options for a sabbatical or paid parental leave. Within our terms of employment individual choices model, you can exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits such as an advantageous sports subscription or bicycle scheme, and we also offer child-care options;
• If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;
• A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop and a mobile telephone (if applicable for the position).

For more information about employment conditions, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/werken-bij/sollicitatieprocedure-en-arbeidsvoorwaarden

What we find important
Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. Leiden University aims to be an inclusive community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to develop to their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High-quality education and research means inclusive education and research.

Want to apply or find out more?
If you want to apply straight away, click the application button.

If you would like more information about what the job entails, please contact Arko Ghosh, Assistant Professor, at a.ghosh@fsw.leidenuniv.nl. You can apply until September 15th, and the applications will be processed immediately.

To help us get to know each other better, we follow a number of steps in the application procedure. For more information, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/werken-bij/sollicitatieprocedure-en-arbeidsvoorwaarden

• We believe mobility is very important. That is why we are also publishing this vacancy internally. In case of equal suitability, we will give priority to the internal candidate.
• A pre-employment screening (references, diplomas, certificate of good conduct (VOG)) may be part of the selection procedure.
• Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. If you nevertheless choose to send us CVs, no rights can be derived from this. #LI-Hybrid