NEURAL MECHANISMS OF COMPULSIVITY IN HUMANS (VAGHIM_U23PSY)

Dr Matilde Vaghi is recruiting a PhD student to investigate the cognitive and neural processes that underpin compulsive behaviours, which are often seen across a range of mental health disorders such as for example Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This opportunity should appeal to students interested in cognitive neuroscience, computational psychiatry, neuroimaging, and mental health. 

The student will conduct behavioural experiments (in person and online) to elucidate the cognitive footprint of compulsivity and will investigate how brain networks implicated in cognitive control underlie compulsive symptoms. Overall, methods will be aimed at shifting the focus of analysis from groups to single individuals, with the overarching aim of translating information from cognitive neuroscience into clinically relevant applications. Methods will include behavioural experiments, computational modelling, and functional neuroimaging.

Applications are invited from strong and motivated candidates. Interested students can have a background in *any* relevant subject (for example – this is by no means intended as an exhaustive list – Neuroscience, Psychology, Computer Science). Candidates from social and demographic groups that are underrepresented at PhD level are encouraged to apply.

Those interested candidate should, in the first instance, contact Dr Vaghi by email.

When applying for this project, please select that you are applying with your own research proposal, selecting Psychology as the subject area and including the project title within the 'Research Title and Summary' section of the application. If you have any questions about the application process, please email us.

Overview of UEA

The School of Psychology at the University of East Anglia is a new department which has fast become a thriving centre for neuroimaging and computational neuroscience research with state-of-the-art facilities (including a new 3T fMRI scanner) alongside outstanding scholars and teaching programs (e.g., BSc in Computational Psychology) that specialise in this exciting field.