Postdoc or Clinical Researcher - Sleep & Dreams Lab (Siclari) NL Institute Neurosciences Amsterdam

Location: Amsterdam
Max hours per week: 38
Max salary: € 5.090
Duration of agreement: 3 years, first for 1 year, contract will be extended in case of proper functioning
Apply until: April 30th, 2024

The Sleep and Dreams lab is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral or clinical researcher for a 3-year project

on pharmacological modulation of dreams, starting in September 2024.

 The project combines a unique combination of cutting-edge experimental approaches, including 256-channel-high-density EEG sleep recordings combined with controlled sensory stimulations and serial awakening paradigms. The position if for 3 years starting in September 2024. Initially, the appointment is for one year with the option for an extension for the remaining period, pending on an evaluation. This project is funded by the EU ERC project Dreamscape. 

What you will be doing

• Organization and planning of the study (obtaining ethical approval, collaborating wiht the clinical trial unit and pharmacy, analysis of preliminary data) 
• Acquisition of day- and night-time high-density sleep EEG recordings with controlled sensory stimulations and serial awakenings under pharmacological modulation 
• Analysis and interpretation of data
• Writing of high-impact publications and presentation of results at international meetings.
• Transmission of knowledge and expertise to younger team members, supervision of research assistants

 What you will be contributing

• You are an MD and ideally already have some clinical experience and/or have a PhD degree in Biology, Neurosciences, Pharmacology, Biomedical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering or related fields.

• You ideally have experience with clinical or pharmacological trials and/or acquisition and analysis of neurophysiological data 
• You are familiar with EEG, sleep and dream research or are highly interested in the topic
• You are fluent in written and spoken English and ideally also in Dutch 

• You ideally have signal processing skills (mastery of neurophysiological analyses) and knowledge in statistics and programming (Python, Matlab or other similar languages)
• You have excellent communication and organizational skills 
• You are rigorous, committed, highly motivated and autonomous
• You are a team player and enjoy transmitting your knowledge to other members of the team

What we are offering

An attractive position in the Sleep and Dreams lab, a highly motivated and enthusiastic research group working on the neural basis of dreaming. The lab provides access to a state-of-the-art sleep laboratory equipped with four bedrooms and high-density EEG systems. The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (www.nin.nl) is the country’s leading fundamental neuroscience research institute. It provides a critical mass of scientists in the neuroscience techniques, together with a dynamic multi-cultural environment. English is the working language of all research groups. Amsterdam is an internationally-oriented city and an attractive, progressive and easy-to-integrate environment. The research groups have members from more than 27 nations with backgrounds ranging from philosophy to engineering, but with an emphasis on biology and psychology.

For more information

Please contact: Francesca Siclari, department head, f.siclari@nin.knaw.nl 

Application procedure

Please submit - via the button Apply now - :

• a cover letter and statement summarizing your research interests and motivation (max. 1 page);
• a CV with a complete list of publications, including an indication of your three best papers, your previous research accomplishments and future research goals (this part of your CV covers max 2 pages); 
• the name and email addresses of up to three referees.

About the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience
The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience is the country’s leading fundamental neuroscience research institute, in the international and progressive city of Amsterdam. It provides a critical mass of scientists (spanning more than 27 nationalities) and neuroscience facilities, in a highly interactive, dynamic, multi-cultural environment, with English as the working language.

Terms of employment
Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is € 3.226 and the maximum salary is € 5.090 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale 10 of the cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).

For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.

Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.

Diversity & Inclusion
The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.

We will not respond to any supplier enquiries based on this job advertisement.