Fwd: PhD position in cognitive neuroscience of motivation and perception

PhD position in cognitive neuroscience of motivation and perception University of Giessen, Germany Applications are invited for a PhD position in the Psychology department at the University of Giessen, Germany. The position is available from 1 April 2014 through December 2017 and is funded by the project grant “The interaction of visual and motivational salience in natural-scene perception” as part of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB/TRR 135 under the umbrella theme “Cardinal mechanisms of perception: Prediction, valuation, categorization”. The position is on the TV-H E13 scale (65%) for public employees. The project will investigate the influence of visual object properties on motivational learning and decision-making using fMRI. The department offers a research-dedicated 3T MRI scanner with eye-tracking and peripheral physiology equipment. The successful candidate will be responsible for collecting and analyzing fMRI data using computational models of learning and decision-making and for writing scientific papers. We encourage research visits in collaborating research groups abroad (NYU, Computational Neuroscience of Learning and Decision Making, PI: Nathaniel Daw). We are looking for highly motivated candidates with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in neuroscience, psychology, biology or a related field and with a strong interest in cognitive neuroscience and the ability to work independently. Excellent programming skills and proficiency in English are essential; prior experience in computational neuroscience and experience with fMRI are of advantage. Please send your CV, transcripts or degree certificates, a brief statement of research interests and contact details of two referees by e-mail to bianca.wittmann(a)psychol.uni-giessen.de. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. -- Dr. Bianca Wittmann Assistant Professor of Biological Psychology Department of Psychology and Sports Science Justus Liebig University Giessen Otto-Behaghel-Strasse 10F 35394 Giessen Germany Phone: +49- 641 - 99 26 160 Fax: +49- 641 - 99 26 169