PhD student cerebellar morphology

AcademicTransfer; Netherlands; On-site; EUR 36,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation allowance (8%)

Pension ABP accrual

Travel and internet allowances

Job summary

The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) invites applications for a PhD position within the Ultra-High Field Neuroimaging group. The project investigates cerebellar mesoscale morphology in postmortem brain tissue using ultra-high field MRI to ground in vivo experiments.

You will join a collaborative environment with access to 7T MRI, the Netherlands Brain Bank, and opportunities for courses and conferences, supporting career development in neuroscience.

Qualifications

• MSc or equivalent in biomedical engineering, physics, biology or related field.
• Proven programming experience in Python and MATLAB.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to cerebellar mesoscale morphology measurements in postmortem tissue.
• Perform data analysis, tissue staining, and postmortem MRI analyses.
• Collaborate with neuroscience experts across the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and Spinoza Centre.

Skills

Python

English proficiency

MSc in related field

Education

MSc in biomedical engineering, physics, biology or related field

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)

Organisation/Company Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) Research Field Neurosciences » Neurobiology Neurosciences » Neuroinformatics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 26 Oct 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 38.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

About the project The human cerebellum is an intricately shaped brain region, implicated in a wide range of functions. The cerebellar cortex, a thin layer of grey matter, is very tightly folded, resulting in a highly convoluted architecture. Its visualisation requires detailed imaging, beyond what is currently possible in humans in vivo. In an NWO-funded Vici project, we leverage Ultra-High Field MRI to bring the cerebellar mesoscale into view.

In this PhD project, we will measure the human mesoscale cerebellar morphology in postmortem brain tissue to provide a ground truth for the independent in‑vivo experiments. This project will give you the chance to work with a wide range of neuroscience techniques, including data analysis, tissue staining, and postmortem MRI.

What do we offer? You will be joining a highly collaborative research environment in the Ultra-High Field Neuroimaging group of the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and the Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging. This research environment combines state‑of‑the‑art neuroscience expertise and facilities, including 7T MRI and the Netherlands Brain Bank. You will work in a diverse, interdisciplinary community of cognitive and clinical neuroscientists and neuroimaging experts.

It concerns a position for 1.0 fte (38 h/week). You will have ample opportunities for further development of knowledge and technical and personal skills through courses at the Academy and (inter)national conferences.

What you will be contributing We are looking for a researcher that a vivid interest in neuroscience with strong technical skills. The ideal candidate will have, or will be about to receive, an MSc in biomedical engineering, physics, biology or a related field and a demonstrable interest in the human brain. Programming experience (Python, MATLAB) and proficiency in spoken and written English is required. Experience with or an interest in microscopy, quantitative image analysis, neuroanatomy or MRI would be a plus.

Additional Information

Terms of employment
Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is € 3204,- and the maximum salary is € 4051,- gross per month for a full-time appointment (promovendi scale, cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.
The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).
For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW .
Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.

Selection process