Post-doc position

at  Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

YOUR FUNCTION

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an undeniable clinical success in the treatment of movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Yet, DBS exhibits a large outcome variability in individual patients and patients might suffer from stimulation-induced side effects. The sophistication of DBS systems is far ahead of the present understanding and clinical exploitation of the available stimulation features offered by the technology. Finding the right frequency, amplitude, and pulse width settings for an individual patient can be a cumbersome process. Within our European research consortium (Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Uppsala, Berlin), we aim to optimize DBS treatment with a strong focus on electrophysiology in Amsterdam. For this, we use the latest sensing-enabled neurostimulator technology that allows for chronic recordings of local field potentials (LFP) under different stimulation settings.

JOB DESCRIPTION

We are looking for a postdoc who could contribute to the analysis of DBS-LFP recordings in Parkinson’s disease. You are expected to work on the detection of LFP signal features as physiomarkers of individual motor symptom severity, and to investigate how these features change under different medication and stimulation settings. Data from over 100 patients are available for this analysis. You are expected to take initiative in conducting the work and to present the project’s outcomes in scientific papers and at international conferences. There is an opportunity to supervise student projects, participate in data collection, and to take part in working visits to partners in the consortium. The work in this project will be conducted in close collaboration with the DBS Neurology group at the Amsterdam University Medical Centers location AMC, one of the largest DBS centers in Europe. You are expected to regularly visit the AMC hospital for attending research meetings and to conduct parts of your work, as appropriate. The project will be supervised by Dr. Bernadette van Wijk (VU University Amsterdam) and Dr. Martijn Beudel (Amsterdam University Medical Centers).

REQUIREMENTS

• A PhD in human movement sciences or a related field such as neuroscience, medicine, biomedical or electrical engineering, or artificial intelligence
• Proficiency with time series and spectral analysis of LFP and/or EEG/MEG data
• Demonstrated work experience in the field of deep brain stimulation, neural control of movement, and/or Parkinson’s disease
• First authored articles in peer-reviewed international journals
• Willingness and competences to work in a team

DIVERSITY

We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

Please refer the Job description for details