vision, memory, consciousness, metacognition, development, learning, and language. It is committed to a resolutely interdisciplinary approach, combining experimental neuropsychology, developmental studies, modeling, cognitive psychiatry, and neuroimaging. The successful candidate will join the Language Team, whose research focuses on the neurocognitive mechanisms of spoken and written language production and comprehension. The team has access to various experimental platforms, including EEG, TMS, fMRI, as well as computational resources and high-performance computing and data management platforms (Gricad).
PhD Supervision:
As part of the ANR FRONTOP project, led by Céline Amiez (SBRI INSERM U1208 Lyon-Bron) in collaboration with the ISC-Marc Jeannerod (CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon-Bron) and the LPNC (CNRS UMR 5105, Grenoble), we are recruiting a PhD student for a 3-year thesis in cognitive sciences, starting in October/November 2026 at the Université Grenoble Alpes, within the Laboratory of Psychology and NeuroCognition (LPNC).
The thesis will explore the role of the prefrontal extent of the frontal operculum (PFOp), a unique anatomical feature potentially linked to the emergence of speech control in humans, yet its function remains poorly understood. The central hypothesis of the project is that the PFOp—the only region of the frontal cortex without a homologue in non-human primates—may be specifically involved in the control of endophasia (or inner speech, commonly referred to as the "little voice in the head"), while Broca's area is more associated with the control of externalized speech.
The PhD project aims to test this hypothesis and consists of three components:
- Behavioral tasks to assess variations in the condensation of inner speech in adults and children (ages 4–10) using questionnaires, neuropsychological tests, and phenomenological experience sampling;
- Computational modeling to extend the ConDialInt model and describe the neural correlates of different degrees of inner speech condensation at various stages of cognitive control development, using a probabilistic framework;
- fMRI experiments (potentially supplemented with Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation, TUS) to investigate the involvement (and potentially the causal role) of the PFOp in inner speech control, including participants with auditory verbal aphantasia (the absence of a perceived inner voice).
The thesis will benefit from collaboration with members of the Aphantasia Project (Grenoble and Lyon) and access to the advanced neuroimaging platforms of IRMaGe in Grenoble.
Where to apply
Website: https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Doctorant/UMR5105-HELLOE-001/Default.aspx
Requirements
- Research Field: Mathematics
- Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
- Research Field: History
- Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
- Languages: FRENCH
- Level: Basic
- Research Field: Mathematics
- Years of Research Experience: None
- Research Field: History » History of science
- Years of Research Experience: None
Additional Information
Additional comments
None
Website for additional job details: https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Doctorant/UMR5105-HELLOE-001/Default.aspx
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: Laboratoire de psychologie et de neurocognition
Country: France
City: ST MARTIN D HERES
Contact
City: ST MARTIN D HERES
Website: http://lpnc.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/
