Promotionsstelle (65% TV-L 13) Biologische Psychologie
Pending final grant approval by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) we pre-announce a three-year PhD position at the Neuroimaging Center (NIC) of Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center Mainz (UMC) presumably starting October 2024.
Link to job advertisement (PDF): https://bit.ly/3xAKZyv
The research project, jointly led by Til Ole Bergmann and Florian Müller-Dahlhaus, is part of a larger collaboration project of industry and academic partners that aims to develop a novel transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) setup with multi-element phased-array transducers, cross-beam technology, and AI-based near-real-time acoustic simulations for precise modulation of deep brain structures for treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases. The research position will include both technical evaluations (MR-based bone imaging and acoustic measurements in human skulls) as well as the preparation (regulatory affairs, quality management etc.) and conduction of a proof-of-concept clinical investigation in humans to demonstrate neural target engagement of deep brain structures with TUS applied using the new setup and functional MRI. Workspace will be available at the NIC.
The ideal candidate for this PhD position is fluent in English (German is not mandatory) and holds a degree in medicine, psychology, health sciences, neuroscience, biology, engineering or related fields, with prior experience in neuroimaging and/or neurostimulation and has a strong interest in medical product development, neurotechnology, and the clinical neurosciences. An independent but collaborative working style, excellent technical skills, and basic training in experimental methods and statistics are required.
Research environment: The position is embedded in a multidisciplinary team of neurostimulation researchers from academia, engineers in TUS hardware and software development, AI and data scientists as well as specialists in neuronavigation. It is located within an excellent academic medical and research environment with a strong neuroscience focus, located in a vibrant university city, with state-of-the art neurostimulation labs (TMS, tES, TUS) including robot-assisted neuronavigated TUS and access to a 3T MRI system (with state-of-the-art concurrent TMS-fMRI and TUS-fMRI) at the NIC. Excellent methodological, clinical, and regulatory supervision is guaranteed by a joint supervision by both PIs (Til Ole Bergmann and Florian Müller-Dahlhaus) and a close collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Trials (IZKS) of UMC. In addition, access to a PhD/MD-PhD training program in Translational Biomedicine is available (www.unimedizin-mainz.de/transmed/phd-mdphd-in-translational-biomedicine).
Employment: The UMC offers employment with a salary and social benefits based on a wage agreement comparable to the collective agreement for public service employees in the academic and science sector in Germany (65% of a full TV-UM E13 position). We particularly value an interdisciplinary and diverse working group. Women shall be given preferential consideration in recruitment in the case of equivalent suitability, qualification, and professional performance. Severely disabled applicants with the same qualifications will be given preference (proof required).
Applications should be addressed to both Prof. Til Ole Bergmann and Dr. Florian Müller-Dahlhaus, written in English, and include a detailed CV, a brief (max. 500 words) personal statement of research motivation/interest/experience, university degrees with grades, as well as names and contact details of two persons willing to provide letters of reference. Please compile your documents into one single PDF-file and send your application by e-mail to tobergmann@uni-mainz.de and florian.mueller-dahlhaus@uni-mainz.de by 15 August 2024 at the latest.