Postdoctoral Fellow- Max Planck Institute for Human Development

Postdoctoral Fellow

The to-be established Center for Affective and Automatic Neuroscience (CAAN) led by Dr. Mara Mather at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development invites applications for a fully funded 4-year postdoctoral fellow (requiring a Ph.D.) and research scientist position (requiring at least a few years of postdoctoral experience).

The to-be established Center for Affective and Automatic Neuroscience (CAAN) led by Dr. Mara Mather at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development invites applications for two fully funded 4-year postdoctoral fellows. CAAN will be established at the MPIB starting September 1, 2026 and will investigate how the affective and autonomic changes of adulthood shape cognition, emotion, and the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease — and how safe, scalable physiological interventions can influence these trajectories. The program integrates four strands:

Emotion–cognition interactions in aging: mapping the brain mechanisms that allow older adults to maintain emotional well-being despite the physiological changes of aging.
Brainstem imaging methods: developing next-generation 7T multimodal measures of locus coeruleus structure and function, including pCASL blood-flow measurement in the brainstem.
Autonomic trajectories from age 20–60: the first longitudinal study to track parasympathetic decline and sympathetic shifts across this age range alongside CSF amyloid-β and locus coeruleus measures, testing whether midlife autonomic changes trigger the earliest pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.
Causal tests via breathing interventions: randomized trials using slow-paced and 4-7-8 breathing to influence autonomic balance and measure downstream effects on AD biomarkers, cerebrovascular reactivity, emotion, and cognition.

For these positions, we seek recent Ph.D.s with interested in investigating autonomic changes in midlife and their causes and consequences in the brain and body, in particular either with expertise studying autonomic influences on sleep, or with experience analyzing large, complex MRI and/or physiological datasets. These postdoctoral fellows will have opportunities to design and analyze studies using the extensive facilities at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, including 3T and 7T MRI and EEG equipment.

At the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, we study how and why people develop differently over the course of their lives, and how physical, societal, and technological aspects of the environment shape this process. Working across disciplines such as psychology, neuroscience, computer science, economics, and sociology, we do research within a context that fosters academic freedom, curiosity, and collaborative work to generate insights that help shape living conditions for individuals and societies to thrive. We combine pioneering interdisciplinary research infrastructures with local and inter-national collaboration to generate knowledge that strengthens individuals and society. Our vision is that of a healthy environment and an open society that allows individuals to realize their potential.

The Institute provides a stimulating, international work environment with an engaged, collegial team in Berlin Dahlem. In addition, the following benefits are available:

• Access to the training programs offered by the Planck Academy of the MPG
• Flexible working hours
• Possibility to work remotely (up to 40%, depending on work processes)
• Annual bonus payment in accordance with the TVöD (German public sector pay scale); 30 days of vacation, plus December 24 and 31 off
• Daycare partnerships with dedicated places; a parent-child room at the institute
• Excellent public transport connections (U3 Breitenbachplatz, barrier-free)
• Jobticket
• Institute canteen and biodiverse institute garden
• Various offers related to “health in the workplace” (e.g., fitness room, massage services, yoga classes)
• Extensive support services, e.g., International Office, Disability Office, Gender Equality Office, mental health support
• Diversity-sensitive working environment (e.g., meetups, networking, accessible and gender-neutral toilets)

For more information, please see the two postdoctoral fellow listings:

Sleep physiology, apply by July 20th:
https://careers.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/jobs/7875925-postdoctoral-fellow-sleep-physiology-center-for-affective-and-autonomic-neuroscience

Analytic approaches to understanding autonomic change in midlife, apply by July 27th:
https://careers.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/jobs/7897440-postdoctoral-fellow-quantitative-center-for-affective-and-autonomic-neuroscience