UCLouvain PhD Scholarship

PhD Position in Social Cognition and ASD at UCLouvain (Belgium)

UCLouvain is recruiting a PhD candidate for a 4-year, fully funded doctoral project on the links between the gut microbiome, brain, social cognition, and social networks in young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The project is embedded in an interdisciplinary consortium spanning gut microbiome biology, neuropsychiatry, cognitive neuroscience, and sociology. The work will be based at UCLouvain, with activities across Louvain-la-Neuve and Brussels (Woluwe), and will involve collaboration with the Psychological Sciences Research Institute (IPSY) and the Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS).

The PhD researcher will contribute to developing cognitive markers of social skills and social motivation, recruit participants with varying levels of ASD traits, and collect and analyze data including behavioral tasks, questionnaires, eye tracking, MRI/fMRI, biological samples, and sociograms. The role also includes dissemination, publications, conference presentations, and engagement with stakeholders in social inclusion, education, and mental health policy.

Eligibility highlights: a Master’s degree in Psychological Sciences (120 ECTS) completed before the start date, strong quantitative analysis skills, French C1+ and English B2+, and an interest in interdisciplinary research. Experience with ASD is an advantage. Candidates should be willing to travel regularly between sites and participate in outreach activities.

Funding: full-time UCLouvain-funded PhD scholarship for four years, paid at the standard Belgian PhD scholarship rate.

Deadline: 5 August 2026 at 23:59 CET. Apply by sending a single PDF with CV, transcripts, motivation letter, and two referees’ contact details to [email protected].