🧠 Open Positions: MSc & PhD Students in Computational/Cognitive Neuroscience

Closed-loop neuroscience lab (PI: Aurelio Cortese) | CNIR / SKKU, Suwon, Korea

We are looking for motivated MSc and PhD students to join our newly established research group at the Centre for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR) at Sungkyunkwan University, in Suwon, Korea.

About the Lab: Our research sits at the intersection of computational neuroscience, cognitive science, and machine learning. We study how the brain perceives, learns, makes decisions, and monitors its own processes, and we develop tools to non-invasively reshape these computations (aka decoded neurofeedback / decnef). 

Key areas include: Decoded fMRI Neurofeedback (DecNef) — using real-time brain decoding to modulate neural activity and behaviour without conscious awareness

Adaptive decision-making, reinforcement learning — uncovering the neural and computational mechanisms of how people (and other animals) learn from outcomes in dynamic, noisy environments

Perception and metacognition — understanding how confidence and self-monitoring support efficient learning and shape brain dynamics

Prior work on Google Scholar

We welcome applicants from backgrounds including neuroscience, psychology, physics, engineering, computer science, or mathematics (but don’t let that stop you if you come from a different discipline). Some experience with programming (Python/MATLAB/etc) is needed; experience with neuroimaging (e.g., fMRI) or machine learning is a plus but not required per se. Significant opportunity to define the research direction.

We offer a collaborative, international research environment based at CNIR, one of Korea’s top research centres for cognitive computational neuroscience. Lots of potential for collaborations within the centre (e.g., Hakwan Lau, Choong-Wan Woo), including with labs doing animal research, and internationally (Mitsuo Kawato @ ATR Japan, Benedetto De Martino @ UCL UK). Training in cutting-edge neuroimaging and computational methods to answer foundational questions about the mind. Close mentorship and rigorous training.

The positions are fully funded.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should send a CV and a brief statement of research interests to cortese.aurelio@gmail.com. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis (until March 31st).