Job opening Postdoctoral Researcher "Stress Mechanisms of Psychopathology network dynamics and dysregulation"

Tilburg University Medical and Clinical Psychology
is looking for a

postdoctoral researcher for the project

Stress Mechanisms of Psychopathology: Network Dynamics and Dysregulation

Department: Medical and Clinical Psychology (MCP)

Location: Tilburg

Academic field: Psychology (Behaviour and society)

Full time equivalent: 1.0 fte (40 hrs per week)

Duration of employment: 18 months

Salary indication: from 4.728 to 6.433 gross (scale 11)

Start date: a.s.a.p. but no later than May 1 2026

Closing date: January 26 2026

Job description

The Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology at Tilburg University is seeking an enthusiastic and highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to contribute to a research program on how stress responses while initially adaptive may develop into persistent transdiagnostic dysregulation underlying mental and somatic illness.

The project focuses on how repeated or chronic stress becomes embedded in enduring psychological and physiological patterns and how these patterns are associated with symptoms such as anxiety depression pain and fatigue. The postdoctoral researcher will work at the intersection of theory development and empirical research integrating insights from stress physiology cognitive-affective processes and contemporary approaches to modelling symptom network dynamics. A central objective of the project is to identify dynamic indicators of reduced resilience and maladaptive stress responsivity that cut across traditional diagnostic boundaries.

This position offers an excellent opportunity for a motivated researcher with a strong background in stress research to contribute to high-impact publications and to play a substantive role in the preparation of competitive large-scale grant applications.

Your duties may include:

• Conducting literature reviews in the area of stress-related psychological and physiological mechanisms underlying mental and somatic disorders;
• (Co-)authoring high-quality scientific articles and contributing to the preparation of large national and international grant proposals;
• Collecting pilot data using experimental intensive longitudinal and/or multimodal methods (e.g. experience sampling physiological monitoring) and analyzing newly collected and/or existing datasets;
• Establishing and maintaining active collaborations with national and international researchers working in the field of stress psychopathology and related domains;
• Supervising research assistants and where applicable contributing to the supervision of PhD candidates;
• Being part of a collaborative research environment that promotes team science in the Stress Pain and Anxiety ResearCh (SPARC) research line of the department;
• Participating in meetings of the project research group departmental research meetings and broader academic activities and being actively engaged within the department;
• Making a limited contribution to teaching within the department (up to a maximum of 10% of the appointment) depending on expertise and departmental needs;
• Adhering to principles of open science research transparency and responsible research conduct.

Requirements

• You hold a PhD in (medical or clinical) Psychology or in a field related to the interface between the behavioral sciences and (mental) well-being;
• Your scientific qualities are evidenced among other things by an excellent doctoral dissertation and publications in leading international scientific journals;
• You have an interest in and preferably also experience with scientific research (experimental and/or using ambulatory assessment experience sampling) on psychological and physiologicalstress and how such stress may contribute to the development and persistence ofpsychopathology;
• Knowledge of and experience in the network theory of mental disorders is preferred;
• You work proactively and independently but are also able to collaborate effectively in teams and with external professionals from different disciplines ((inter)national researchers);
• You are a role model of scientific integrity and an advocate of open science;
• You demonstrate perseverance and a strong sense of addition you are conscientious ambitious and flexible and able to function well under time pressure;
• You possess strong analytical skills and have experience with statistical software such as SPSS SAS or R;
• You have excellent oral and written communication skills in both Dutch and English;
• You have excellent communication organizational and analytical skills.

Conditions of employment

This is a full-time position (1.0 FTE; 40 hours per week) for a period of 18 months.

Tilburg University offers excellent employment conditions with attention to flexibility and (personal) development as well as attractive secondary benefits.

The salary depending on experience ranges from 4.728 to 6.433 gross per month for a full-time appointment based on the UFO profile Researcher 3 and salary scale 11 of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. Tilburg University applies a neutral remuneration system for job classification that is based on relevant work experience.

You are entitled to a holiday allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3% of your gross annual income. With a 40-hour working week you will receive 41 days of annual leave.

All university employees are covered by the ABP pension fund.

We make clear agreements about career paths and offer a wide range of facilities and schemes to support an optimal work-life balance. You will also have access to a broad selection of training opportunities for example in leadership skills personal effectiveness and career development.

Tilburg University values an open and inclusive culture. We embrace diversity and encourage integration among staff and students. We strive to create equal opportunities for all employees and students ensuring that everyone feels at home within our academic community.

Tilburg University has a vibrant campus in a beautiful green environment that is easily accessible by public transport. We are committed to a sustainable society and invite you to make an active contribution to this mission.

Please visitWorking at Tilburg Universityfor more information about our employment conditions.

Additional information and application

For more information please contact

More information about the department of Medical and Clinical Psychology is available (in Dutch only) at:

We invite you to apply online for this position no later than Monday 26 January 2026. To do so please upload a letter of motivation for this position including a recent CV and publication list (optionally: transcripts from your bachelors and masters programs and a PDF of your doctoral dissertation) via the portal.

The first round of interviews will take place (online) in February.

The starting date will be determined in mutual consultation but no later than 1 May 2026.