PHD Candidate

Job description

We are looking for talented candidates who wish to design their own PhD research project on an interdisciplinary topic within the scope of the research expertise of Young Academy Groningen members (please visit http://www.rug.nl/research/young-academy ). Two PhD positions are available to conduct research within the themes of the projects. The call for applications for project 2 is now open. As a PhD candidate, you will develop your own research project in consultation with the associated supervisor(s). You will conduct independent and original academic research and report results via peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and ultimately a PhD thesis. The PhD thesis has to be completed within four years. Being part of a cutting-edge research programme, you will receive research training as well as a varied educational training program including transferable skills and future (academic or non-academic) career training for after the PhD trajectory, in the context of our Career Perspective Series.

Project 2. Project title: Motor learning as a window into neurodegeneration: an interdisciplinary approach

PhD project Goal: The primary aim of this PhD project is to understand why speech motor skills are disrupted early in Parkinson's progression. This research could be crucial for early diagnosis and management of the disease. The project will investigate the interrelation between speech and body-level changes in both able-bodied individuals and those with Parkinson's, exploring whether speech symptoms stem from the same underlying mechanisms as the hallmark motor symptoms that appear later.

Research Approach: To explore the relationship between motor function and the brain, we will use experimental measures from our departments to quantify motor learning. This involves using sensory information to correct errors in the motor system, essential for maintaining effective motor control, from hand and foot movements to fluent speech production.

Team and Resources: The PhD candidate will be enrolled in the Graduate School of Medical Sciences at the UMCG and the Graduate School for the Humanities at the Faculty of . The candidate will also be involved in the Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Research School. The project will be conducted within the Speech Biosignal Processing Lab ( https://aburlab.web.rug.nl/ ) at the Faculty of , and labs and resources at Clinical Movement Sciences ( https://umcgresearch.org/w/clinical-movement-sciences ) of UMCG. Candidates will also be expected to participate in public engagement events (including festivals such as Noorderzon, Lowlands, etc.). This project is primarily supervised by Dr , who brings expertise in speech motor control in Parkinson's disease, and Dr Riemer Vegter, who brings expertise in body-level motor control. Collaborative projects with the same population will enhance recruitment synergy, ensuring the feasibility of the PhD timeline.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate would have the following qualities

• Master's degree in the following (or related) fields: Biomedical sciences, Neurolinguistics, or Movement Sciences. Knowledge of sensory and/or motor systems in the body is preferred.
• Experience and/or enthusiasm for public outreach.
• Research experience with human subjects.
• Training with data analysis on time-varying signals (e.g., acoustic signals, movement tracking).
• Coding experience (e.g, MATLAB or Python).
• Intrinsic motivation to conduct research in the topic of the project.
• Committed to working autonomously in an interdisciplinary team setting.
• A demonstrably excellent written and spoken command of English.

Organisation

Conditions of employment

As an employee PhD candidate, you fall under the Collective Labor Agreement of Dutch Universities. A separate salary scale with four steps applies to PhD candidates: P0 to P3. The current level of the corresponding salary and more information about the collective employment conditions can be found on the VSNU Cao Dutch Universities external link page. The 2022-2023 CLA version is accessible via this link: http://www.labouragreementuniversities.nl/

The appointment will commence in September 2025

Application

The application package consists of the following separate documents:

• A brief letter of motivation (max. 1 page).
• CV, including contact details of two academic referees.
• A scan of your diploma including transcripts.