PhD Candidate Neuroimaging in Epilepsy

PhD Candidate Neuroimaging in Epilepsy

• Our goal: to leverage advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques (including functional MRI to assess brain network metrics and MR spectroscopy to measure neurotransmitters levels) to identify predictive bio-markers that could differentiate responders from non-responders. Such novel bio-markers would be a very valuable tool for the treatment of complex epilepsy.
• Your colleagues: You will join a vibrant, interdisciplinary research environment that bridges Maastricht University, the Academic Center for Epileptology, and the Kempenhaeghe Expertise Centre for Epilepsy (Heeze). Your research will be embedded in a dynamic and supportive environment, where you will have ample opportunities for professional development, scientific exchange, and collaboration with both academic and clinical partners.

Patients with epilepsy are typically treated with anti-seizure medication (ASM). However, ASM treatment does not always achieve a reduction of seizures. Treatment failure is associated with a decreased quality of life and is an important predictor of pharmaco-resistance, which signifies a considerable burden on patients, caregivers, and society. In this project, we aim to leverage advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques (including functional MRI to assess brain network metrics and MR spectroscopy to measure neurotransmitters levels) to identify predictive bio-markers that could differentiate responders from non-responders. Such novel bio-markers would be a very valuable tool for the treatment of complex epilepsy.

We invite applications for 1 PhD position in clinical neuroimaging at the Radiology & Nuclear Medicine department of the Maastricht University Medical Centre, in close collaboration with the Academic Center for Epileptology and Kempenhaeghe Expertise Centre for Epilepsy (Heeze). The position is embedded in the Mental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute (MHeNS) of the Maastricht University. As a clinical PhD-student you will be coordinating a clinical MRI study with patients with epilepsy, which involves obtaining ethical approval, subject recruitment, administration of neuropsychological tests, drawing of blood, and planning of follow up assessments, and interpreting results. You will be working in a stimulating interdisciplinary biomedical research team, including neurologists, clinical neurophysiologists, MRI scientists, imaging engineers, physicists, neuroradiologists, as well as patients and industry representatives. Importantly, you will be collaborating with a technical PhD student, who is responsible for the technical aspects of this imaging study.

What you do

• Data collection – Include patients, conduct MRI measurements, administer cognitive tests, collaborate with a software engineer to create a smartphone app
• Analyses – Follow up patients and process neuroimaging and cognitive data.
• Contribute to the scientific field - Write scientific manuscripts, present at conferences, engage with stakeholders and co-develop research projects
• Write and submit a PhD-thesis within the four-year project

Are you ready to set the course for the years ahead? Then we’d love to meet you.

What you bring
We’re not looking for checkboxes; we’re interested in who you are and what you bring. Do you recognize yourself in this?

We are looking for highly motivated candidates who are collaborative and eager to engage with key stakeholders. Candidates demonstrate strong analytical and writing skills, showing the ability to process and communicate complex information effectively. Their curiosity about research methodology and open science practices drives them to experiment with new approaches. Additionally, they are adaptable, open to learning, and proactive in problem-solving and innovation. On top of that you have:

• MSc degree in neuroscience, biomedical sciences, psychology, medicine, or a related field
• Experience in working with patients with neurological disorders (preferred)
• Experience with data analysis using Python and/or Matlab (preferred)
• Experience with neuroimaging data analysis (preferred)
• Proficiency in English and Dutch (as the project involves direct communication with patients and hospital employees)

Assistant Professor in Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation in Cognition

Welcome to the Brain Stimulation and Cognition lab at Maastricht University!

• Our goal: The Brain Stimulation and Cognition group at Maastricht University aims to unravel the psychological and neural mechanisms of human cognition and behaviour. Our group specifically focuses on non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) methodologies such as TMS, TES, and TUS. We combine these with neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, EEG) to study functional network accounts of human cognition, and to develop and apply brain-based neuromodulation therapies for neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. Our research lines span from basic cognitive neuroscience in healthy volunteers, to methodological advancements in brain stimulation technology and protocols, all the way to clinical applications in psychiatry, neurology, and rehabilitation. We are interested in the neural network dynamics underlying human cognition but also investigate the role of brain oscillations in perception, memory, attention, and inhibitory control. We make an effort to advance NIBS methodology, optimising parameters and employing multimodal approaches combining TMS and TES with neuroimaging and neurophysiology as well as expanding closed-loop approaches to NIBS. Our group pioneered the development of simultaneously implemented TMS-fMRI-EEG during cognitive behaviour and has demonstrated the brain-state-and task-dependency of NIBS. We have successfully translated our fundamental and methodological work to the clinic including neuromodulation therapies for depression (now regulatory approved and reimbursed), OCD, and cognitive rehabilitation after stroke. Our interdisciplinary and translational research program continues to deliver both fundamental insights into neurobiological mechanisms of attention, working memory, and inhibitory control in healthy participants, and new brain-system-based personalised interventions for clinical applications in psychiatry, neurology, and neurorehabilitation. For more details visit the Brain Stimulation & Cognition Lab.
• Your colleagues: You will be part of the Brain Stimulation & Cognition Lab, embedded within the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience at Maastricht University. You will work directly with Prof. Dr. Alexander Sack, Prof. Dr. Teresa Schuhmann, Dr. Sanne ten Oever, Dr. Inge Leunissen and Dr. Felix Duecker. We value open-minded collaboration, scientific depth, and strong mentorship. This group is embedded within the Cognitive Neuroscience (CN) department at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN) at Maastricht University (UM), currently consisting of 33 permanent staff members and about 60 temporary staff (PhD candidates and postdocs). We are a collaborative group that investigates the neural processes that underlie human cognitive functions, including perception, attention, emotion, memory, learning, language and neurocognitive development. CN takes a unique approach to this endeavor by combining a variety of approaches to measure brain activity (e.g., using magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], electroencephalography [EEG], psychophysics) and to manipulate brain activity and overt behavior through non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS). The department combines experimental skills with methodological development and theoretical or computational perspectives to investigate the neural correlates of cognitive processes at a range of spatial and temporal scales.

What you do
We are looking for an assistant professor with strong expertise in non-invasive brain stimulation technologies. We are particularly looking for candidates who investigate fundamental mechanisms of cognition such as attention, memory, cognitive control, and/or are interested in developing and applying NIBS interventions for psychiatric or neurological disorders. Your empirical interest should fit within the research lines of the Brain Stimulation and Cognition lab as described here: Brain Stimulation & Cognition Lab. Ideally, candidates should have strong experience in combining NIBS approaches such as TMS, TES, TUS, or TI with neuroimaging (fMRI) or neurophysiology (EEG).

We expect that you are passionate about research and enjoy collaborating with staff within and beyond the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience. Ideally, you have already shown that you are able to gain research funding on individual or collaborative grants.

We also hope you are an enthusiastic teacher, as the time commitment on the advertised positions entails 50/50 teaching and research. As much as possible, your teaching will be organized so it fits your research interests. You can teach in the Bachelor in Brain Science, the Bachelor in Psychology as well as related Master programmes, including supervision of Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology Master students.

You are also expected to be a team player with an open, effective management and communication style.

Are you ready to set the course for the years ahead? Then we’d love to meet you.

What you bring

• You have a PhD in (Cognitive) Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology, Neuropsychology, Biomedical Sciences, Bioengineering, Medicine, or a related field;
• You are collegial and enjoy (interdisciplinary) team science. Excellent English communication skills are essential. Knowledge of Dutch is not required, but you should be willing to learn Dutch once you arrive;
• You should have several years of experience as a Postdoc, during which you should have demonstrated outstanding quality in research and compiled a competitive publication record;
• You should ideally have a track record of grant applications;
• You have expertise in cognitive neuroscience methods; you especially have experience with designing and executing advanced NIBS experiments, and with conducting advanced analyses of functional brain data (EEG, fMRI); experience with modelling is a plus;
• Your methods expertise shows a strong track record in non-invasive brain stimulation technologies such as TMS and/or TES and/or TUS and/or TI;
• Your skill set includes programming, statistics, excellent scientific writing and communication;
• You are an experienced and enthusiastic teacher and have demonstrated ability in thesis supervision;
• You are interested in human cognition (memory, attention, cognitive control) and/or have a clinical NIBS interest.

Internal Communications Officer

Internal Communications Officer 0.6 FTE

• Our goal: Strenghten engagement within the School of Business and Economics by creating transparent, inspiring and inclusive communication tha connects people and supports collaboration.
• Your colleagues: You’ll join a diverse, international team of 12 marketing, recruitment, communication, and alumni professionals who share one goal: to make our School visible, connected, and forward-looking.

As an Internal Communications Officer, you play a key role in shaping how we communicate within our community. You make sure that SBE’s initiatives, achievements, and developments are shared in an engaging and accessible way.

You work closely with colleagues across the School to ensure that internal communication flows smoothly and reflects who we are: open, collaborative, and ambitious.

What you do:

• Ensure that the School’s key initiatives and projects are successfully communicated within the organisation.
• Act as community manager for our staff intranet, keeping content relevant, interactive, and inspiring.
• Create clear and appealing content — from news articles and visuals to videos and podcasts.
• Collaborate with communication colleagues to ensure consistent messaging across the School’s social media platforms.
• Contribute to communication planning and provide support during internal crisis communication.

What you bring
It’s not about ticking boxes, but about who you are and what you bring. Do you recognise yourself in this?

• Experienced communicator – You have at least 3 years of experience in communication, ideally in internal communications.
• Digitally skilled – You’re confident with content management systems and online tools, and you enjoy designing digital experiences.
• Creative storyteller – You write and edit with clarity and enthusiasm, adapting messages for different audiences. You also have excellent proofreading skills.
• Visually minded – You’re comfortable using design tools (e.g. Canva, InDesign, Photoshop) to bring your ideas to life.
• Organisational awareness – You understand how large organisations work and can tailor messages to different internal groups.
• Collaborative spirit – You thrive in a team and contribute to an open, positive working atmosphere.
• Language skills – You are fluent in English (spoken and written); proficiency in Dutch is preferred.

Are you ready to set the course for the years ahead? Then we’d love to meet you.

Assistant Professor of Finance

Assistant Professor of Finance – School of Business and Economics

• Our goal: drive cutting edge research in behavioural finance, alternative investments (including real estate), sustainable finance, financial econometrics, asset pricing, and banking, as well as inspiring our students
• Your colleagues: An ambitious, diverse, and collegial Finance group with a strong international research reputation.

At SBE’s Finance Department, you join one of Europe’s most international academic environments. You will develop and pursue your own research agenda while collaborating closely with colleagues. You benefit from state-of-the-art facilities such as the BEE-lab, strong graduate school support, a vibrant academic community with a two weekly seminar series, active mentoring, and an energetic PhD community.

Your teaching will typically include coordinating and delivering two 7-week courses per year, supervising bachelor’s and master’s theses, and the possibility to contribute to MBA and executive education. Administrative duties are deliberately kept light, so you can focus on research and teaching excellence.

Do you want to contribute to cutting-edge finance research and inspire the next generation of economists in a vibrant, international setting? Then we’d love to meet you.

What you bring
It’s not about ticking boxes – it’s about your potential, drive, and mindset. Do you recognize yourself in the following?

• Research-oriented – You hold a PhD in a relevant field and show proven potential to publish in leading journals.
• Inspiring teacher – You bring enthusiasm for teaching and strong didactical skills.
• Collaborative colleague – You value teamwork and contribute to a collegial, inclusive academic community.
• Ambitious scholar – You combine scientific curiosity with the motivation to make a real impact in both academia and society.

PhD Candidate on Transport-Reaction Interplay in Thermal Arc Plasma Source

PhD Candidate on Transport-Reaction Interplay in Thermal Arc Plasma Source

• Our goal: to investigate and control the impact of transverse transport on heat and mass transfer in a thermal arc plasma reactor, with the goal of designing an optimized reactor for direct C2H4 production.
• Your colleagues: As a PhD Candidate, you will work in the plasmalab team in the Faculty of Science and Engineering located at Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen. You will become part of a young international research group, specialized in plasma catalysis.

The development of innovative and green chemical processes is essential for transitioning to a carbon-neutral and energy-efficient society. Methane, a key component of natural gas and a by-product of numerous industrial processes such as naphtha cracking, presents a compelling opportunity. Current practices, such as combusting methane to sustain energy-intensive operations, are increasingly unsustainable in the context of decarbonization efforts and the EU Methane Strategy. The ability to upgrade methane into higher-value products, particularly through plasma-assisted or catalytic methods, is a game-changer for the chemical industries, enabling a dual focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating economically valuable outputs.

This PhD position is part of PRIME LEAP, a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) on the next-generation intensified chemical processes integrating plasma and single-atom catalysis. In this position, the PhD candidate will establish and control the role of transverse transport in overall reactor heat and mass transfer in thermal arc plasma source to engineer a reactor for direct C2H4 production. Specific objectives include establishing evolution of species distributions by in situ line-of-site integrated supercontinuum laser based FTIR measurements in variation of the total arc length, establishing radial gas and plasma temperature profiles with laser scattering at/around the arc exit in variation of the total arc length to benchmark modelling estimates, realization and performance characterization of optimized plasma reactor model, as well as implementation of quench and its performance characterization to implement post catalysis processing.

What you do
In this project, the responsibilities of the PhD Candidate will entail:

• Pave the way towards engineering a thermal arc plasma reactor for direct C2H4 production
• Present your work at international conferences
• Write scientific papers for international peer-reviewed journals
• Provide teaching assistance and/or supervision of students