Dear colleagues,

The Translational Neuromodeling Unit at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) invites applications for a PhD student position. The project will focus on NMDA receptors and fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis.

Please see the details about the available position below.

Best regards,
Gabor Stefanics

Open position for a doctoral student (PhD) at TNU Zurich

The Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU; Director: Prof. K.E. Stephan) is a division of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich). Its mission is to translate advances in computational neuroscience into diagnostic tools for psychiatry and neurology. To this end, the TNU brings together computational scientists, psychologists and clinicians who jointly develop mathematical models of maladaptive behaviour and brain disease, and evaluate their diagnostic use in patient studies. For more information, see http://www.translationalneuromodeling.org.

Within a custom-designed building, the TNU houses a research clinic with a wide range of experimental facilities (EEG, eye-tracking, pharmacological, psychophysics and behavioural labs).

The TNU invites applications for a

Doctoral student (PhD) position (duration 3 years)

The topic of this PhD project concerns investigations of pathophysiological mechanisms in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) by computational neuroimaging, with a particular focus on (i) EEG investigations of the role of NMDA receptors in MS, and (ii) fMRI studies of mechanisms of fatigue in MS. The project involves both data collection (EEG and fMRI) in patients and healthy controls, as well as advanced data analysis based on neurobiologically informed computational models for inferring on connectivity and synaptic processes. The ideal candidate for this position has a strong interest in clinically relevant empirical research, as well as an ambition to develop skills in computational modelling.

Qualifications and requirements:
• education in a relevant field (e.g., Psychology, Biology, Medicine, Neuroscience, Statistics, Physics, Computer Science, or Engineering)
• good programming skills
• fluent German and English
• ability to work independently
• a team player attitude

Additionally, the ideal applicant has experience with:
• EEG and fMRI (data collection and analysis)
• working with patients
• solid statistical knowledge

The project will start as soon as possible after January 2016. The salary will be in the range recommended by the Swiss National Science Foundation (approximately CHF 50,000 p.a.).

The TNU, located in central Zurich, offers a young, collegial and highly international community, and an exciting interdisciplinary scientific environment at the intersection between computational neuroscience, psychiatry and neurology.

Interested students should submit their applications including CV, names and contact information of two references, and a short letter of motivation (outlining their interests and explaining why they meet the above requirements) by email in a single pdf to Gabor Stefanics (tnu-jobs@biomed.ee.ethz.ch). Applications which do not fulfil these formal criteria will not be considered. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for interviews. Informal inquiries can be directed to Dr. G. Stefanics (stefanics@biomed.ee.ethz.ch).

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.