Human intracranial recordings

Offer Description

How concepts are represented in the human brain is fascinating, but remains a mystery. Our knowledge of the human brain is limited by the inherent limitations of the research techniques we can apply. General non-invasive measurements of brain activity, including electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), provide us with only rough information about neural activity due to limited spatiotemporal resolution, while non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation do not offer sufficient spatial resolution to systematically modulate activity in specific subsets of neurons.

The functional organisation of the human brain therefore remains very difficult to investigate, and in order to resolve certain important questions within cognitive neuroscience, submillimetre-scale investigation with millisecond precision is required. We propose a groundbreaking approach to unravel brain areas by using micro-recordings in neurosurgical patients. The implanted electrodes will also be used for electrical microstimulation during certain tasks in order to determine the causal role of specific functional zones.

• Master’s degree in medicine, (bio) engineering, biomedical sciences, or a similar degree with an equivalent academic level
• Fluent in oral and written English
• Dutch speaking (preferably)
• A profound interest in neuroscience research
• A background in neuroscience and/or expertise in Matlab programming and/or MR imaging is an advantage
• A position as a full-time (100%) PhD-student (for a total duration of 4 years, provided a positive evaluation after the first year)
• A dynamic research environment including advanced equipment in a clinical setting
• A multidisciplinary team in a large, multidisciplinary research center dedicated to an exciting project
• Salary scales are set according to university regulations