项目介绍

2026年5月2日

The project is a collaboration between Brain & Cognition, KU Leuven (Prof. Dr. Eva Van den Bussche) and the Department of Psychology, University of Essex (Dr. Gethin Hughes). Together, we are looking for a motivated PhD candidate. The Cognitive Control in Context research group (https://ppw.kuleuven.be/cogtex) consists of a team of international scientists with diverse academic backgrounds. We study how cognitive control is exerted within the complex context we live in today. We examine how cognitive control exertion is influenced by task-related, clinical, developmental, metacognitive and subjective, social and societal factors. Furthermore, our research aims to expose how cognitive control processes are implicated in other cognitive functions. To address these research questions, we use a multi-method approach, combining behavioral experiments, clinical studies and neurocognitive research (EEG, psychophysiology). We aim to increasingly use more real-life experimental paradigms and citizen science in our work.

Unit website

Project

Within the research project “Cognitive Control and Multitasking in the Digital Age”, you will prepare a PhD on how we exert cognitive control in our aging, digital society. Cognitive control allows us to flexibly adapt to our ever-changing environment. However, one of the greatest challenges of our time is straining our ability to exert cognitive control. Our Digital Age is characterized by a continuous flow of multi-source information. One of the pinnacle strategies to process that information, is multitasking. However, we are notoriously poor multitaskers. A recent framework proposes that this is due to the fact that tasks often share representations, which can be beneficial for learning, but detrimental for multitasking. It is assumed that cognitive control prevents multitasking to shield learning efficacy. However, the framework also predicts that multitasking capacity should increase when the shared representations between tasks are limited or trained. This project aims to test these predictions using a behavioral, neural and real-life approach. We will focus on young adults, but also on older adults, who are particularly prone to declines in cognitive control and multitasking. The project will expose the causal relationship between cognitive control and multitasking and identify situations where multitasking is possible and efficient. 
Within this project, the PhD student will mainly investigate how neural indices of cognitive control are impacted by different types of multitasking in young versus older adults using EEG. Analyses will focus on Event-Related Potentials, time-frequency analysis and functional connectivity measures within a cognitive-motor dual task paradigm. To enhance ecological validity, the PhD research will also translate these laboratory findings to a more real‑life setting. A naturalistic cooking task will be developed and implemented in a kitchen environment, where older adults will complete this daily-life multitask within a structured training paradigm. Next to the PhD research, the PhD student will spend 10% of their time on teaching assignments (practical sessions, exam support, student guidance, etc.). 

Profile

• You hold or will obtain, by October 1 2026, a Master in a relevant discipline (e.g., cognitive neuroscience, experimental psychology, biomedical sciences).
• Experience with behavioral experimentation, programming, advanced statistical analysis, and/or EEG, is an asset. In any case, the candidate should be motivated to strongly invest in these skills. 
• You obtained very good grades. You are interested in scientific research and motivated to pursue a PhD. You already have a solid academic and internship record.
• You are highly proficient in English. While knowledge of Dutch is not required, it is an advantage when working with older populations.  
• You have strong statistical and methodological skills. A quantitative background and good programming skills (e.g. R, Python, Matlab) are important. You are familiar with scientific methods in psychology.
• You are motivated and eager to learn. You have a creative mind, excellent problem solving skills, and a collaborative and collegial attitude.
• You are able to work independently and flexibly and have a talent for organization.
• You have excellent communication skills and you have experience working with older adults, or you are enthusiastic to work with this population.

Offer

We offer:

• a stimulating and dynamic work and learning environment, with excellent research facilities, in which you acquire expertise as a researcher with the aim to obtain a PhD. During the process, you will work together with the supervisors and other members of the research group. 
• a varied full-time job content existing for 90% of scientific research and 10% of teaching assignments. You will also engage in research support responsibilities.
• a 4‑year PhD trajectory. The initial appointment is for one year (starting in October 2026) and will be extended with 3 years (total of 4 years) upon positive evaluation.
• the opportunity for professional development through the doctoral training, workshops, courses, seminars, (inter)national conferences and short or longer stays abroad.
• The net amount of the salary will be highly competitive internationally and in accordance with the university fellowship scales for PhD researchers.
• The preferred starting date is October 1st 2026.

Interested?

Candidacy is possible until May 15 2026 via the online application tool. After a first selection based on the applicants’ documents, the candidates will be invited for an interview held on June 5 2026 (in Leuven or online for candidates who cannot attend on site). Candidates should provide a full CV, including at least two email addresses of academic referees. Next to their CV, candidates also have to provide a motivation letter in which they thoroughly discuss their specific interest for this job opening, and a detailed overview of their study results (including the grades obtained during education, as a whole and for individual courses). For more information, please contact Prof. Dr. Eva Van den Bussche, eva.van.den.bussche@kuleuven.be or Dr. Gethin Hughes, ghughes@essex.ac.uk.
You can apply for this job no later than May 15, 2026 via the online application tool