PhD Position / Doctoral researcher in the Translational Psychology Group

Opportunita; Oldenburg; Hybrid; EUR 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

The Translational Psychology Group at Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg invites applications for a PhD researcher to join the project 'The Everyday Brain: Towards Capturing Temporal Dynamics Beyond the Lab'.

You will design and run cognitive neuroscience experiments, record and analyze EEG data in lab and naturalistic settings, and develop methods for long-duration brain activity analysis. Collaboration, publication, and teaching duties are expected.

Qualifications

• Completed university degree in psychology, neurocognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience or related field.
• Hands-on EEG data acquisition experience from research assistant roles or theses.
• Practical experience with experimental research involving human participants.
• Statistical analysis experience and programming in MATLAB, Python or R.
• Very good written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and conduct cognitive neuroscience experiments focusing on auditory perception and cognitive-state dynamics.
• Record and analyze EEG data in laboratory and naturalistic environments.
• Apply statistical and computational methods to long-duration EEG time series.
• Interpret findings in light of perception, cognition, and brain-state theories.
• Prepare manuscripts and present at conferences; collaborate within the group.
• Contribute to teaching activities in the Psychology Department.

Skills

EEG data acquisition

Human participants research

MATLAB

Python

R

English proficiency

Longitudinal data analysis

Education

Master/ Diploma in psychology, neurocognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience

Tools

MATLAB

Python

R

Job description

# PhD Position / Doctoral researcher in the Translational Psychology GroupCarl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg · University Oldenburg, GermanyPosted 10 Nov 2026Apply on official website Opens uol.deSalary: E13 TV-LApplication deadline: November 24, 2026 In 15 daysSource details may be limited. Not stated by the source: contact email and contract duration.## DetailsPosition type: PhDDepartment: Department of PsychologyResearch field: PsychologyDate posted: November 10, 2026## About this positionOfficial opportunity text, in English · about 9 min readAbout us:The School VI of Medicine and Health Sciences comprises the fields of human medicine, medical physics and acoustics, neurosciences, psychology and health services research. Together with the four regional hospitals, School VI forms the University Medicine Oldenburg. Furthermore, the university cooperates closely with the University Medicine of the University of Groningen.The Translational Psychology Group, led by Prof. Dr. Martin Bleichner, investigates how the human brain processes information in everyday life. Our research combines cognitive neuroscience, experimental psychology, and mobile neurophysiological methods, with a particular focus on auditory perception, attention, and the dynamics of cognitive states. A central goal of our work is to move beyond traditional laboratory experiments and investigate brain activity over extended periods of time under more naturalistic conditions. To this end, we develop and apply mobile and ear-centered EEG technologies, combining controlled experimental paradigms with recordings in everyday environments.We are looking for a motivated researcher to join our team and contribute to our research programme \"The Everyday Brain: Towards Capturing Temporal Dynamics Beyond the Lab\", funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) through the Heisenberg Programme.Research project Our cognitive states are constantly changing. Throughout the day, we fluctuate in our levels of attention, cognitive engagement, and fatigue, influencing how we perceive and respond to our environment. Yet, much of what we know about the neural mechanisms of cognition comes from relatively short experiments conducted under highly controlled laboratory conditions. As a result, we know surprisingly little about how cognitive states evolve over extended periods of time and how these changes are reflected in ongoing brain activity.In this project, we want to address this gap by investigating whether the brain's responses to sounds can serve as indicators of changing cognitive states. Auditory stimuli are particularly promising because sounds are an integral part of everyday life, and their neural processing is influenced by attention, cognitive demands, and other internal and external factors. By measuring auditory brain responses repeatedly over several hours, we aim to determine whether their variability provides reliable and interpretable information about changes in cognitive state. The central challenge is to distinguish changes in neural processing that reflect the person's cognitive state from those caused by variations in the acoustic environment or other external factors.Building on our existing mobile EEG technology, we will combine controlled auditory stimulation with naturally occurring sounds to investigate how this approach can be extended from the laboratory to more naturalistic environments. The project will involve designing experimental studies, collecting and analyzing long-term EEG recordings, and developing analytical approaches to characterize changes in cognitive states.The successful candidate will contribute to establishing a methodological and conceptual foundation for studying the dynamics of cognition in everyday life, combining experimental cognitive neuroscience with longitudinal data analysis and potentially dynamical systems approaches. Your tasks:* Designing, implementing, and conducting experimental studies in cognitive neuroscience, with a focus on auditory perception and cognitive-state dynamics.* Recording and analyzing EEG data in laboratory and naturalistic environments.* Developing and applying statistical and computational methods for the analysis of EEG and long-duration physiological time series.* Interpreting experimental findings in relation to current theories of perception, cognition, and brain-state dynamics.* Preparing scientific manuscripts for publication in international peer-reviewed journals and presenting findings at scientific conferences.* Collaborating with other researchers and contributing to the scientific development of the research group.* Participating in teaching activities within the Department of Psychology (3 LVS / three teaching hours per week during the semester). Your profile: Required qualifications* Completed university degree (Master/ (Diploma (Uni)) in psychology, neurocognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, or a closely related discipline with a substantial focus on human cognition and experimental neuroscience.* Demonstrable hands-on experience with EEG data acquisition, obtained through a research assistant position, Bachelor's or Master's thesis, research project, or comparable research activity. Experience limited to coursework, theoretical knowledge, or the analysis of previously recorded EEG data is not sufficient.* Practical experience in conducting experimental research with human participants, acquired through a thesis, research project, or comparable research activity.* Practical experience with the statistical analysis of empirical research data.* Practical programming experience in MATLAB, Python, R, or comparable programming languages for experimental research or data analysis.* Very good written and spoken English, demonstrated through academic writing and oral communication. Preferred qualifications* Practical experience with EEG data preprocessing and analysis, including event-related potentials, time-frequency analysis, or comparable approaches.* Demonstrated familiarity with sound and its properties, gained through training in acoustics, psychoacoustics, or auditory perception, musical training or experience, or other relevant practical activities.* Experience analyzing longitudinal data, time series, or large physiological datasets.* Knowledge of dynamical systems theory or its application to cognitive or neural processes.* Experience with advanced statistical methods, such as regression, mixed-effects models, or multivariate analysis.* Demonstrated ability to develop scientific arguments and communicate research findings in writing, evidenced by a thesis, research report, manuscript, or publication.* Experience with reproducible research practices, version control, or open science workflows. We offer:* The opportunity to pursue a doctorate within an established research programme in neurocognitive psychology.* A friendly, collaborative, and intellectually stimulating research environment that values curiosity, open discussion, and shared scientific discovery.* A research culture that encourages exploring new ideas, questioning assumptions, and learning from mistakes, while emphasizing scientific rigor, transparency, and responsible research practices.* Close collaboration within a research group consisting of a postdoctoral researcher, research assistants, and Master's students, with regular lab meetings, journal clubs, and scientific discussions.* The opportunity to take ownership of your research project, develop scientific independence, and contribute to the shared goals of the research group.