Postdoc Position: Neurobiology of Speech Production at the Donders Centre for Cognition

1. Introduction

Join our cutting‑edge research team to unravel the neural pathways of speech in Parkinson’s disease, combining advanced MRI, speech analysis and neuromodulation to drive impactful scientific discoveries.

2. Job description

We invite applications for a postdoctoral position within a funded research programme investigating the neuroanatomy of speech production and speech deficits in Parkinson's disease. The project combines advanced diffusion MRI tractography, detailed acoustic and behavioural speech analyses, and neuromodulation using deep brain stimulation (DBS).

The overarching aim is to identify the subcortical–cortical networks underlying vocalisation, articulation and speech coordination, and to understand how these networks are disrupted in Parkinson's disease and modulated by DBS. The project integrates high-resolution diffusion-weighted MRI, spherical deconvolution tractography, voice and speech feature extraction, and multivariate embedding approaches (e.g. UMAP) to link brain connectivity with individual speech phenotypes.

 As a postdoctoral researcher, you will play a central scientific role in the project. You will:

• Lead and conduct advanced diffusion MRI analyses (including spherical deconvolution tractography) to map basal ganglia–cortical connectivity.
• Analyse speech and voice recordings from Parkinson's disease patients, extracting acoustic and behavioural speech features.
• Integrate neuroimaging, speech and clinical data using multivariate and machine-learning approaches (e.g. UMAP).
• Investigate the effects of deep brain stimulation on speech production in relation to individual connectivity profiles.
• Coordinate closely with clinical collaborators, speech and language therapists, and international partners.
• Lead scientific publications and present findings at international conferences.

You will be supervised by Dr Stephanie Forkel and work within a highly interdisciplinary team spanning neuroscience, neurology, neurosurgery and speech-language pathology.

3. Profile

We are looking for an enthusiastic and independent researcher with a very strong background in systems or cognitive neuroscience.

Essential qualifications

• A PhD degree in neuroscience, cognitive science, biomedical engineering, or a related field.
• Strong experience with neuroimaging, particularly diffusion-weighted MRI and/or MRI.
• Demonstrated expertise in speech production, auditory-motor integration or language neuroscience.
• Experience working with clinical populations or translational research settings.
• Strong programming skills (e.g. Python, MATLAB, R) and experience with statistical modelling or machine learning.
• A strong publication record and excellent scientific writing skills in English.

Desirable qualifications

• Dutch language proficiency.
• Evidence of having independently developed or maintained analysis pipelines.
• Experience with voice and acoustic analysis (e.g. Praat).
• Familiarity with neuromodulation methods (e.g. DBS, TMS) or electrophysiology (EEG/ECoG).
• Experience with multivariate or dimensionality-reduction techniques (e.g. UMAP).
• Experience supervising students or coordinating research projects. 

4. We are

We are a dynamic and international research group dedicated to Clinical Neuroanatomy of Language. We bring together passionate researchers from diverse linguistic, geographical and academic backgrounds, united by a shared commitment to advancing human brain mapping and behavioural neuroscience. Our team collaborates with leading institutions, including the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and Radboud University in Nijmegen, as well as maintains active connections with research partners across Europe. We value intellectual curiosity, methodological rigour and a collaborative spirit as we explore the neural basis of language, cognition and behaviour.

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 and 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 and 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 3 years.
• Your salary within salary scale 11 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. 
• 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 Stephanie Forkel. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application. We look forward to receiving your application.

The first interviews will take place on Friday 13 February. You will preferably start your employment as soon as possible. 

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