PhD position in Computational Visual Neuroscience (IndiBrain Project 5) University Medical Center Groningen in Netherlands

IndiBrain Project 5 offers a fully funded PhD position in computational visual neuroscience within the European Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral training network IndiBrain. The project is titled Modeling Individual Brain Differences using Deep Learning & Vision Neuroscience and is hosted in a Europe-wide collaborative network linking universities, medical centers, and industry partners.

The project sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, deep learning, computational neuroscience, and vision science. The PhD candidate will develop biologically realistic neural networks to study how individual differences in brain structure and dynamics shape perception, neuroplasticity, and recovery from neurological and visual disorders. IndiBrain’s broader mission is to understand how and why brains differ from one another, and to translate these insights into personalized diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and neurotechnology.

The network brings together expertise in advanced neuroimaging, computational and network neuroscience, machine learning, biologically inspired AI, predictive coding, clinical neuroscience, and neurotechnology. Vision is used as a core model system to connect detailed neural mechanisms to perception, behaviour, and disease. Across the wider programme, the doctoral candidates will work on personalized brain health, brain-specific prediction, biomarkers, and mechanistic models of individual variability.

The position is associated with the University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Ophthalmology, with the project location listed at Tilburg University, the Netherlands. Other involved institutions include the University of Coimbra, the Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience, NordicNeuroLab, University of York, University of Pisa, Fondiazone Stella Maris, University College London, and Otto-von-Guericke-University. The network is designed to provide interdisciplinary training across academic, clinical, and industrial environments.

IndiBrain offers 15 full-time PhD positions, each lasting 3 years, with multidisciplinary training courses and workshops. The programme highlights opportunities to build both academic and entrepreneurial skills through exposure to research, health care, and industrial settings. The position is stated as fully funded through Horizon Europe / Marie Skłodowska-Curie support.

Eligibility requirements include holding a Master’s degree before the project start date, not having a doctoral degree at appointment, and meeting the MSCA transnational mobility rule: applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in the recruiting country for more than 12 months in the previous 36 months. English proficiency at a good level is required, and the application deadline is 16 August 2026 at 12:30 Europe/Amsterdam time.