PhD Opportunity: Understanding Amotivation in Young People with Psychosis at KU Leuven

KU Leuven, Belgium, invites applications for a PhD position focused on understanding amotivation in youth with early psychosis. The project, situated within the fields of Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, and Mental Health, aims to investigate approach-avoidance conflicts and the social factors underlying amotivation—a core negative symptom of psychosis. The research will employ a combination of epidemiology, experience sampling, virtual reality, and experimental tasks to generate insights for novel interventions targeting negative symptoms in young people.

Project Highlights:

• Interdisciplinary research environment (CCliPs & CCP)
• Cutting-edge methods: VR, experience sampling, experimental tasks
• Contribution to the Methusalem program for innovative psychiatric interventions
• Competitive international PhD salary

Responsibilities:

• Recruitment of young patients with early psychosis
• Development and implementation of VR-based and experimental tasks assessing approach-avoidance tendencies
• Conducting a longitudinal study to track the emergence and persistence of amotivation
• Collaboration with an interdisciplinary team including clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, experimental psychologists, and statisticians
• Integration of qualitative and quantitative findings to inform intervention design

Eligibility & Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Psychology, Psychiatry, Mental Health, or related Social/Health Sciences
• Interest in psychosis, youth mental health, and research methodology
• Experience with fear/reward learning paradigms, experience sampling, or psychosis literature is a plus
• Proficiency in Dutch and English (C1 level)
• Motivation to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary clinical research team

Application Process:

• Submit a cover letter (motivation, research goals, skills, experience), CV, diplomas and transcripts (BSc & MSc), and contact information for at least two references via the KU Leuven Job Portal
• Optional: publication list
• Contact supervisors: Prof. Ruud Van Winkel ([email protected]) and Prof. Inez Myin-Germeys ([email protected])
• Deadline: 16 March 2026

This PhD position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative psychiatric research using advanced methodologies in a leading European institution. For more information, visit the official job posting or contact the supervisors directly.