"PhD Position on ‘Neuromodulation and Arousal Regulation through Bio-/Neurofeedback'"

PhD Position: Neuromodulation and Arousal Regulation through Bio-/Neurofeedback

Location: Zurich

Employment: 100%, fixed-term (~4 years)

Starting Date: Summer 2025 (or upon mutual agreement)

About the Lab

At the Brain-Body Regulation Lab (ETH Zurich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology), we develop non-invasive self-regulation methods to modulate brain function during wake and sleep, studying brain-body interactions. This project focuses on neuromodulatory systems, particularly the locus coeruleus, and their role in regulating brain arousal and bodily signals.

Project Overview

• Use biofeedback based on pupil dynamics combined with neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and respiratory recordings
• Investigate and modulate brain arousal and bodily physiology during wake and sleep
• Employ multimodal human experiments with pupillometry, EEG, ECG, respiratory recordings

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct human experiments using multimodal biosignal recordings
• Configure and integrate electrophysiological, respiratory, and pupillometry recording systems
• Hands-on data acquisition during wake and sleep
• Advanced signal processing and analysis
• Publish and present scientific findings
• Supervise BSc and MSc students

Candidate Profile

• Master’s degree (or near completion) in health sciences & technology, neuroscience, psychology, neurophysiology, biomedical engineering, or related fields
• Programming skills (Matlab, Python)
• Experience with electrophysiological or related biosignal recordings
• Ability to design and execute rigorous human experiments with multimodal data synchronization
• Advantage: experience setting up complex biosignal recordings
• Strong communication, scientific curiosity, collaborative spirit
• Self-motivated, organized, reliable
• Fluent in English (German skills beneficial)

What We Offer

• Fully funded PhD position (~4 years) in a leading scientific environment
• Combination of lab work and computational data analysis
• Impactful role within ETH Zurich, supporting professional growth and societal change
• Benefits: public transport season tickets, car sharing, sports activities, childcare, pension plans
• Commitment to sustainability and diversity

Application

Submit your application online by June 12, 2025, including:

• CV (with educational history and awards)
• Research motivation statement (max 2 pages)
• Diplomas
• Contact info of at least two references

Contact

Questions only (no applications):

Prof. Dr. Sarah Meissner

Email: sarah.meissner@hest.ethz.ch