PhD Position in NeuroAI for Video Perception in the Human Brain

Are you interested in using AI to unravel the mysteries of the brain Do you want to perform cutting-edge NeuroAI research and leverage deep learning to understand human vision Then check out the vacancy below and apply for a PhD position in this exciting research direction.

Research project BrainShorts on video perception in humans

We are looking for a PhD candidate to join our research project entitled BrainShorts: Identifying neural mechanisms of dynamic video perception with deep learning funded by a NWO Vidi grant awarded to Iris Groen.

The public summary of the project is as follows: Videos are everywhere these days. The popularity of platforms such as TikTok shows how much these stimuli appeal to our brain. Physically video shorts consist of a few seconds of pixels changing luminosity over time. Our visual brain effortlessly distils a meaningful message from this while even the most advanced AI techniques still struggle. Moreover modern AI requires a lot of training data and energy to analyse a short video while the brain continuously operates in a dynamic world on a few watts only. What clever computations does the brain use to achieve efficient processing of videos

This PhD project aims to address this question by developing stimulus-computable models of human electroencephalogram (EEG) responses to video shorts. Together with a research assistant and post-doctoral researcher you will collect an unprecedented large-scale EEG dataset of dynamic brain measurements of the video-watching brain and use these data to:

a) curate an open-science neural prediction benchmark for deep learning video-AI models;

b) assess representational alignment of bio-inspired deep learning models to the human brain.

The bio-inspired models will be enriched with different temporal integration mechanisms hypothesized to underlie efficient neural processing of dynamic inputs. By directly comparing models with and without brain-inspired computations you will identify the contribution of each type of computation to effective human video perception.

What you will do

The PhD student is responsible for helping achieve the objectives outlined ideal candidate for this position has a strong background in machine learning combined with strong motivation to collect and analyze human brain data. We are looking for an enthusiastic and creative individual who is interested in the following:

Tasks and responsibilities:

• Perform high-impact research on NeuroAI resulting in publications at top-tier international AI conferences and neuroscience journals;
• Conduct human subjects research to collect EEG responses during video watching and curate an open-source dataset based on these measurements;
• Benchmark existing and novel video-AI models on the neural dataset using representational aligment techniques such as RSA and encoding models;
• Collaborate with other team members on the project and with other PhD students in the lab;
• Assist with teaching by being Teaching Assistant and supervising BSc or MSc students;
• Present your work at local and international conferences.

What we ask of you

• An MSc degree in Artificial Intelligence Computer Science Computational Neuroscience Cognitive Psychology or related discipline;
• A strong interest in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of AI and neuroscience (NeuroAI) and human vision;
• A background in machine learning deep learning and/or representational alignment research;
• Strong experience in programming e.g. Python MATLAB cluster compute
• Strong grasp of the English language;
• Eager to collaborate and to publish high-impact papers.

Candidates with double or mixed degrees in AI and neuroscience/psychology and/or substantial prior experience in both domains will be given preference.

What we offer you

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years).The starting date is between April 1st and Sept 1st should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

The gross monthly salary based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience ranges between 3059 to 3881 (scale P).This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 83% year-end allowance. The UFO profile PhD Candidate 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

TheFaculty of Science has a student body of around 8000 as well as 1800 members of staff working in education research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works be it elementary particles the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

You will be part of the Video & Image Sense (VIS) Lab (which is part of the Informatics Institute). The Informatics Institute is located in the new Lab42 building at the Amsterdam Science Park. The VIS Lab performs research on deep learning and computer vision from hyperbolic learning to medical imaging and from NeuroAI to foundation models.

The candidate will be jointly supervised by Dr. Iris Groen () and Prof. Cees Snoek ( to know more about our organisation Read more aboutworking at the University of Amsterdam.

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 including February 15th 2026. Applications will be reviewed and interviews conducted in March.

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 (max 2 pages);
• a letter of motivation which includes your preference for the field of NeuroAI video perception and large-scale data collection (max 1 page);
• a list of publications or prior projects (max 1 page);
• the names and email addresses of two references who can provide letters of recommendation (do not submit any reference letters).
• a link to your MSc thesis if available (do not submit the full thesis).

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.

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

• Iris Groen Associate Professor