Postdoc position in Cognitive Neurosciences

Postdoc position in Cognitive Neurosciences of Language at the University of Potsdam, Germany

Postdoc position in Cognitive Neurosciences of Language at the University of Potsdam, Germany

The Cognitive Neurosciences Lab (PI Milena Rabovsky) of the Department of Psychology, Cognitive Sciences Unit at the University of Potsdam invites applications for a potential postdoctoral position, most likely from October 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029.

The position is primarily intended for a postdoc, but we will also consider applications by potential PhD students, and decisions will be based not only on existing degrees but also on the fit of the candidate to the project. This is part of the project B08 “Shifting the limits of domain-specificity: Correlational and causal approaches to the P600-as-P3-hypothesis” (PIs Milena Rabovsky, Mathias Weymar & Isabell Wartenburger), within the DFG Collaborative Research Center “Limits of Variability in Language: Cognitive, Computational, and Grammatical Aspects” https://www.sfb1287.unipotsdam.de/en/

The project focuses on how and to what degree language processing aspects are shared with other cognitive domains. Specifically, it aims to investigate whether the P600 ERP component, a well-known component in language research, might be an instance of the domain general oddball sensitive P3 component. It has been hypothesized that both the P600 and the P3 might reflect phasic release of the neuromodulator noradrenaline from the locus coeruleus in the brainstem in response to salient and motivationally significant stimuli across domains. This hypothesis will be investigated using both correlational and causal approaches, employing EEG, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), and physiological markers of noradrenaline, potentially challenging dominant theories that the P600 is specific to linguistic processing.

Your Qualifications:

• Very good Master’s and PhD degree in a relevant field (e.g., Psychology, Cognitive Sciences, Cognitive Neurosciences, or related disciplines)
• Experience with and interest in neuroscientific methods (preferably EEG)
• Strong programming skills (e.g., Python, MATLAB, R)
• Excellent skills in advanced statistical analyses
• Excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills in English
• Strong interest in the lab’s research focus, including cognitive neuroscience, language processing, prediction, and event-related brain potentials (ERPs); see here to get an idea of what we are working on: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/cogneuro/index
• High motivation and commitment

What We Offer:

• Excellent EEG laboratory facilities and computational resources
• Research support by student assistants and a lab manager
• A friendly and open-minded lab research environment
• The University of Potsdam hosts leading groups in cognitive sciences and linguistics, providing a vibrant interdisciplinary scientific environment (http://www.unipotsdam.de/en/cognitive-sciences/index.html).
• Potsdam is an attractive historical city and its palaces are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Furthermore, Potsdam is at close commuting distance to Berlin, a culturally vibrant and progressive city.

For further information about this position, please contact Milena Rabovsky by email: milena.rabovsky@uni-potsdam.de

Your Application:

Please send your application (including letter of motivation, CV, 2 names of potential referees, copies of academic certificates) as a single pdf file to Milena Rabovsky at milena.rabovsky@uni-potsdam.de until June 1 for full consideration (late applications may be considered until the position is filled).