Research Assistant: Serotonergic Modulation of Meta-Decision Making at the Donders Centre for Cognition

1. Introduction

Are you passionate about the brain and behavior? Join our dynamic research team to explore how serotonin shapes meta-decision making, using cutting-edge methods from psychology, neuroimaging, and psychopharmacology. As a research assistant, you'll play a key role in coordinating and conducting a behavioral study with real-world impact.

2. Job description

We are looking for a research assistant for research on the serotonergic modulation of meta-decision making. Our research combines methods of experimental psychology, functional neuroimaging (fMRI), psychopharmacology and patient research to investigate the role of dopamine and serotonin in cognition, emotion and behaviour, with the ultimate aim to understand the neurobiological basis of a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. You will coordinate and contribute to the data collection of an ongoing behavioural psychopharmacology study. This includes participant psychiatric screening, EMA monitoring, behavioural data collection, coordination of monitoring and pharmacy, and administrative tasks. There may also be an opportunity to analyse data.

3. Profile

• You have an MSc in cognitive neuroscience.
• You are BROK-certified.
• You have experience with data collection in multi-session intervention studies.
• You have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• You have a proven ability to work independently.
• Ideally, you also have ample experience with reinforcement learning / motivational decision-making paradigms and statistical analysis using mixed modelling in R. 

4. We are

The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour is a world-class interfaculty research centre, that houses more than 700 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the human mind. Research at the Donders Institute is focused around four themes: 1. Language and communication, 2. Perception, action and decision-making, 3. Development and lifelong plasticity, 4. Natural computing & neurotechnology. Excellent, state-of-the-art research facilities are available for the broad range of neuroscience research that is being conducted at the Donders Institute. The Donders Institute has been assessed by an international evaluation committee as ‘excellent’ and recognised as a ‘very stimulating environment for top researchers, as well as for young talent’. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary, supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. English is the lingua franca at the Institute.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract of 6 months.
• Your salary within a maximum of salary scale 7, step 5 depends on your previous education and number of years of (relevant) work experience. The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week.
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. 
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

6. Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Hanneke den Ouden. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application.

The first interviews will take place on Tuesday 12 August. You will preferably start your employment as soon as possible.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates. If you wish to apply for a non-scientific position with a non-EU nationality, please take notice of the following information.