PhD student (f/m/d) clinical neuropsychology, occupational therapy, and Extended Reality research.
The Department of Neurology -Division for Clinical Cognitive Sciences (CCS)- is looking for a
Operational area: Department of Neurology
Research group: Division for Clinical Cognitive Sciences (CCS) in the field of clinical neuropsychology, occupational therapy, and Extended Reality research
Working hours: Part-Time 65% (currently 25,03 hours/week)
Duration/Term of employment: The position is limited till 31.12.2028 in accordance with the WissZeitVG (German Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act) with the option of prolongation. The successful applicant will be encouraged and supported in working toward a doctoral degree.
Start date: 02.01.2026
Remuneration/Rates: EG 13 (TV-L)
About the CCS Division
The Clinical Cognitive Sciences (CCS) research division consists of a multidisciplinary team of neurologists, psychologists, engineers, and programmers. The group investigates the effects of immersive and stimulation-based interventions on cognitive functioning in both clinical and healthy populations. Our main objective is to uncover the neural mechanisms and clinical efficacy of diverse modalities – including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS), and Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VR/AR/MR) – as measured through behavioral testing, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
About IZKF
The advertised PhD position is part of the AugmenTIM consortium project, funded by the Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF). The project aims to investigate technology-supported applications designed to enhance neuroplasticity and thereby improve psychotherapeutic treatment outcomes.
Why choose us?
We offer…
- 30 days of vacation
- A bonus of 3,000 euros for employees who help recruit employees in the care sector
- An attractive company pension scheme from VBL
- Education opportunities, including updating and upgrading
- Access to public transport
- In-house kindergarten (places subject to availability)
- Staff residences (places subject to availability and by arrangement)
- An onboarding app for new employees
- Extended opening hours in the staff restaurant
Tasks:
As a PhD student and research associate, you will contribute to the planning, execution, and analysis of pilot studies exploring the feasibility of AR- and VR-assisted interventions in patients with neurological disorders (e.g., stroke, traumatic brain injury).
- Planning, organizing, and conducting intervention sessions using VR/AR-based rehabilitation tools
- Performing feasibility and user experience assessments
- Administering and scoring standardized neuropsychological assessments
- Recruiting and screening study participants in collaboration with clinical teams
- Managing and documenting study data in accordance with data protection regulations
- Analyzing behavioral and questionnaire data and contributing to study reports and publications
- Collaborating closely with an interdisciplinary research team and clinical partners
Your profile:
- Completed university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in (neuro)psychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, or a related field
- Good command of English and German (C1 level) in spoken and written form
- Strong self-organization skills and intrinsic motivation to work independently
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills, particularly in interdisciplinary and clinical settings
- Interest in working with innovative technologies such as VR, AR, and MR
- Desirable qualifications:
- Previous experience working with patients in neurorehabilitation
- Basic knowledge of feasibility and usability assessment methods
- Familiarity with neuropsychological testing and data analysis
Application:
The application deadline for the advertised position GB-P-53876 is 31.12.2025.
Contact:
University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen, Director of the department of Neurology, Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Jörg B. Schulz, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Research Group Leader Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Ferdinand Binkofski or Dr. Lukas Lorentz
E-Mail: E-Mail: fbinkofski@ukaachen.de or llorentz@ukaachen.de
Phone: +49 (0)241 80 88310
We look forward to receiving your application!
This job advertisement is aimed at all genders.
The RWTH Aachen University Hospital promotes equal opportunity and diversity. Applications from women are expressly sought and, in accordance with relevant laws, will be treated preferentially.
We welcome applications from people with disabilities and they will be given priority if they are equally suitable.
Employment at a fraction less than the weekly full-time working hours stated above is generally possible.
It is preferable to use our digital application portal at www.karriere.ukaachen.de to apply. The portal allows you to upload your documents to an electronic application folder, which is protected from unauthorized access. Applications received by email are transferred to our application portal and then deleted in accordance with data protection regulations. (Transmission by email is usually inadequately protected.) If you do not agree to the transfer of your data to our portal, we unfortunately cannot consider your application. The data in the portal will be deleted after the retention period has expired.