Postdoctoral Researcher in Cognitive Neuroscience of Misophonia

We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher in the field of Cognitive Neuroscience with strong data analysis skills a passion for empirical research and an interest in working with neurodiverse participant populations for our projectThe Apple of My Eye: Measuring Characterizing and Attenuating the Pupil-Linked Misophonic Stress Response.

Join us!

The project employs state-of-the-art methodologies including subcortical 7T neuroimaging and online webcam-based pupillometry to advance understanding of misophonia. Misophonia is a detrimental condition in which individuals experience intense aversive reactions to specific sounds. The funding research program (REAM) is focused on advancing scientific breakthroughs and end suffering from misophonia and offers unique opportunity to discuss outcomes of the project in an international and interdisciplinary environment.

You will be based at the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) within the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam under the supervision of Dr. Jan Willem de Gee (SILS) and Dr. Romke Rouw (Psychology Brain & Cognition) and collaborate with audiologist Prof. Dr. Ir. Cas Smits and a lived-experience consortium.

This is what you will do

Your primary responsibilities are to design plan and perform experiments; perform analysis interpretation and storage of data; writing manuscripts and presenting results at (inter)national meetings; and collaborate with both scientific and non-scientific partners including our lived experience consortium. You will:

• develop and validate a sensitive and objective online measure of misophonic severity based on sound-evoked pupil dilation obtained via webcam;
• advance misophonic characterization by combining objective with subjective indices;
• provide a rigorous grounding of the sound-evoked (pupil) responses by combining pupillometry with ultra-high-field fMRI (7T);
• investigate the role of the brains major neuromodulatory systems in the misophonic response;
• create a large anonymized and openly accessible sound-to-pupillometry database;
• contribute to the understanding awareness and acceptance of the misophonic condition through both scientific and non-scientific channels such as publications presentations interviews and public outreach (e.g. a NEMO exhibition).

Your supervisors provide guidance throughout each stage of the project but your strong intrinsic motivation pro-active work ethic and sense of responsibility for the projects planning and progress are required.

What we ask of you

You are passionate about fundamental empirical research and motivated to advance the understanding of a condition that can deeply affect peoples daily lives. You are hard-working and self-sufficient open for discussions and aware of when to ask guidance or support. The position is fulltime but part-time may be discussed (minimum of 08 FTE on-project).

Your experience and profile:

• PhD degree in Cognitive Computational or Clinical Neuroscience;
• good programming skills (R and/or Python);
• proficient in spoken and written English and Dutch (for interactions with misophonics);
• excellent social skills and enthusiasm for engaging in scientific and non-scientific partnerships;
• committed researcher demonstrated by publications in international refereed academic journals or academic publishers;
• a team player with good communication skills and a positive collaborative attitude

Experience with (f)MRI and pupillometry and/or an affinity with clinical research is preferred. Experience or interest in acquiring research funding through government agencies or the private sector is considered an advantage.

This is what we offer you

We offer a temporary employment contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 12 months. After satisfactory evaluation the contract will be extended with 18 months. The preferred starting date is as soon as possible.

The gross monthly salary based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience ranges between 3.546 to 5.538 gross per month. This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 83% year-end allowance. The UFO profile Researcher is applicable. A favourable tax agreement the 30% ruling may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Curious about our extensive secondary benefits package You can read more about it here.

You will work in this team

The Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) is located at the vibrant Amsterdam Science Park. SILS is one of eight institutes of the University of Amsterdams Faculty of Science (FNWI). With around 240 employees SILS carries out internationally high-quality life science research and provides education within various university programs. Research is also carried out in close cooperation with the medical biotech chemical flavor food & agricultural and high-tech industries and revolves around 4 main themes Cell & Systems biology Neurosciences Microbiology and Green Life Sciences.

If you feel the profile fits you and you are interested in the job we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the button below. We accept applications until and including7 December 2025.

If you have any questions or do you require additional information Please contact:

• Jan Willem de Gee Assistant Professor

Applications should include the following information (all files besides your cv should be submitted in one single pdf file):

• a detailed CV including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
• a letter of motivation;

• a list of publications;
• the names and email addresses of two references who can provide letters of recommendation.

A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure(for details:national knowledge security guidelines). Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.