Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research position in Cognitive Neuroscience Group leader: Sander Nieuwenhuis When: The post is available as soon as possible for 2 years Research project "Arousal, neural gain and cognitive function" Arousal has a wide variety of effects on human attention and performance, as documented in a rich empirical literature that was developed mainly before the 1980s. The computational and neural mechanisms underlying these effects, however, are still poorly understood. The goal of the present project is to revisit this literature and try to understand the relationships between arousal and cognition by applying recent computational models and insights about the role of neuromodulator systems in cognitive function (e.g., models of the noradrenergic modulation of neural gain). The newly developed ideas can then be tested using various methods, including fMRI, EEG, genetics, psychopharmacology, and pupillometry. Although much of the research will be focused on the brain, the main goal is to understand the basic mechanisms underlying the influence of arousal on cognitive function. Deadline for applications: 24 November 2014 For more information download the job ad at www.temporalattentionlab.com or contact snieuwenhuis(a)fsw.leidenuniv.nl