PhD candidate Towards brain-protective ventilation in critically ill patients (BRAIN-VENT)

• Application Deadline: March 23 2026
• Nijmegen
• On-site

Job Description

Job description

Mechanical ventilation is a life-saving intervention for critically ill patients in the intensive care unit. While essential for survival it is strongly associated with brain dysfunction including delirium dyspnea and persistent cognitive impairment. To minimize these harmful effects we urgently need novel brain-protective ventilation strategies. The mechanisms linking mechanical ventilation to brain dysfunction remain poorly understood. A critical yet largely overlooked factor is the modulatory role of breathing on brain activity. Physiological breathing rhythmically shapes neural oscillations and is fundamentally intertwined with cognitive and affective processes. Mechanical ventilation profoundly alters natural breathing dynamics potentially disrupting respiratorybrain coupling and thereby contributing to brain dysfunction.

In this ZonMw Vidi-funded PhD project (BRAIN-VENT) you will work at the cutting edge of respiratory neurophysiology and intensive care medicine. The project aims to generate transformative insights into ventilator-induced brain dysfunction and to pioneer innovative strategies to restore respiratorybrain coupling in mechanically ventilated patients. By adopting a brain-centered perspective on mechanical ventilation you will redefine mechanical ventilation practice and improve outcomes in critically ill patients.

As a PhD candidate you will:

• Design and conduct experimental and clinical studies on respiratory-brain coupling.
• Develop novel neurophysiological biomarkers of respiratory-brain coupling.
• Acquire and analyze multimodal neurophysiological data including high-density EEG and fMRI.
• Apply advanced signal processing and quantitative analysis techniques to characterize neural oscillations and brainbreathing interactions.
• Interpret experimental data and present findings at international meetings and conferences.
• Contribute to scientific publications and your PhD thesis.
• Collaborate closely with a multidisciplinary team including technical physicians intensivists and neuroscientists.

Place of work

You will be embedded in the Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation research group at the Department of IntensiveCare Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc) in Nijmegen a leading center for patient care biomedical research and education. The Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation research group is at the forefront of acute respiratory failure and mechanical ventilation research spanning fundamental to large-scale clinical studies. The research group not only provides expertise but also offers mentorship global collaboration opportunities and technical guidance - making it an ideal environment for conducting world-class research in intensive care.

You will work in an environment where basic scientists and clinicians closely interact enabling real translational impact. The team consists of motivated PhD candidates postdocs technicians and clinician-scientists who support each others development and success.