Nicola Molinaro

The Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL) in San Sebastián, Spain, is offering a fully funded PhD position in Computational Neuroscience as part of the Deco-B project. This interdisciplinary research opportunity focuses on decoding bilingual speech perception (Spanish–Basque) using advanced neuroimaging (MEG, fMRI) and state-of-the-art multilingual AI models. The successful candidate will join the Brain Rhythms and Cognition Lab, led by Nicola Molinaro, and work at the intersection of neuroscience, machine learning, and language research. The Deco-B project aims to uncover how the bilingual brain represents meaning across two structurally different languages, investigating whether bilinguals use separate or shared semantic systems. The research involves recording brain activity from Spanish–Basque bilinguals as they listen to natural speech, and applying transformer-based language models (e.g., GPT-2, XLM-R, mT5, LaBSE) to decode neural data. The project leverages multimodal fusion techniques, including cross-modal transformers and shared latent space models, to integrate the spatial and temporal precision of fMRI and MEG data. The PhD researcher will be responsible for developing and optimizing analysis pipelines, extracting and aligning linguistic features, and contributing to cross-language decoding and model evaluation. The position offers extensive training in neuroimaging analysis, AI modeling, and interdisciplinary research, with opportunities for scientific publication and professional development. The contract is for four years, full-time, with a gross annual salary of 21,000€, and includes institutional benefits and a career development plan. Applicants must have completed at least 300 ECTS credits across their bachelor's and master's studies and should have a background in computational neuroscience or a related field. Proficiency in English is required, and knowledge of Spanish or Basque is advantageous. The BCBL fosters an inclusive environment and provides language lessons for international staff. The application deadline is May 10, 2026, with the position starting in early Autumn 2026. For more information, visit the BCBL website or contact Nicola Molinaro directly.

BCBL – Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain is recruiting for the Deco-B / Decoding Bilingual Speech Perception project within the BrAIn2Lang network. The project sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, brain rhythms, bilingualism, MEG, fMRI, and language models . The research aims to decode bilingual speech perception and neural data, combining multimodal neuroimaging with transformer-based multilingual AI models to study whether bilinguals use shared or language-specific semantic representations. Open positions: a Postdoctoral Researcher position and a PhD Researcher position in the Brain Rhythms and Cognition group led by Nicola Molinaro . Postdoc profile: candidates should have a PhD in computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, machine learning, or a related field, plus strong programming and modelling experience. Desirable experience includes MEG/EEG/fMRI analysis, transformer-based language models, multimodal learning, open science, and reproducible workflows. Salary is 30,000€–32,000€ gross/year , with a full-time temporary contract and an end-of-contract payout. Deadline: 2026-06-10 . PhD profile: candidates must be eligible for a PhD program at UPV/EHU and have completed at least 300 ECTS across bachelor’s and master’s studies. The role is aimed at applicants with a background in computational neuroscience and interest in machine learning-based neural decoding. Salary is 21,000€ gross/year , with a temporary 4-year contract and an end-of-contract payout. Deadline: 2026-05-10 . How to apply: use the linked BCBL application pages for the relevant position and upload the requested documents before the deadline. For the postdoc, submit a CV, research statement/motivation letter, and two recommendation letters. For the PhD, submit a CV, research statement/motivation letter, transcript of records, and two recommendation letters. Institution: Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL), Spain.