The PhD will be a joint project between the Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology (CLEP) at KU Leuven and the Rehabilitation Research Center (REVAL) at UHasselt, Belgium. KU Leuven is a leading research university in the heart of Europe, known for its excellence in cognitive and learning research related to anxiety, depression, and addiction. CLEP conducts research ranging from basic experimental studies to clinical trials, with a strong focus on understanding and improving psychological interventions. REVAL is an interdisciplinary research group dedicated to advancing rehabilitation science, with a particular emphasis on optimizing physical, emotional, and cognitive functioning in clinical populations. Their research integrates fundamental and applied approaches to enhance treatment strategies for individuals with psychiatric, musculoskeletal, and developmental disorders.
The project will be supervised by an interdisciplinary team of experts. Prof. Filip Raes (KU Leuven) has over 20 years of experience researching the role of memory in psychopathology, encompassing laboratory experiments, preclinical intervention studies, and clinical trials. Prof. Jonas Zaman (UHasselt) has more than 10 years of expertise in laboratory-based fear learning and generalization protocols, utilizing computational approaches to investigate individual differences in these processes. Completing the supervisory team is Prof. Steven Verheyen (KU Leuven, Erasmus University Rotterdam), a leading researcher in semantics, with extensive expertise in using computational modeling to map individual differences in conceptual organization.
The PhD candidate will work within an FWO-funded research project, bridging insights from fear conditioning, semantic cognition, and network science to explain differences in acquired fear behaviors and to develop individualized approaches to laboratory-based fear extinction.
Project
This research project investigates the role of idiosyncratic semantic networks in shaping individual differences in fear learning and extinction. Associative fear learning, a core mechanism underlying various psychological disorders, has been shown to rely on semantic knowledge. However, existing research has overlooked the highly individualized nature of semantic networks and their potential influence on fear responses. By integrating network science, semantics, and fear conditioning, this project aims to bridge this gap. Through a series of experimental studies in healthy volunteers, we will estimate individualized semantic networks using a repeated fluency task and examine their predictive value in fear generalization, extinction, and reinstatement. We will assess whether specific network characteristics explain variations in fear responses and, crucially, use this information to optimize fear extinction protocols by tailoring exposure stimuli to an individual’s semantic organization. This novel approach not only challenges existing theories of fear learning but also represents a critical first step toward developing personalized exposure treatments for anxiety-related disorders.
Profile
The applicant must hold a Master’s degree in behavioral sciences (preferably psychology with a quantitative focus), physics, or engineering, and demonstrate excellent English communication and writing skills. The ideal candidate will have prior experience in mathematical modeling and experimental research. A strong theoretical interest in the psychology of learning (e.g., reinforcement learning models) and/or the field of semantics is highly desirable. A commitment to open science and experience with open-source statistical software such as R are considered strong assets. Enrollment in the PhD-program of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at KU Leuven (and at UHasselt in the case of a joint PhD) is required.
Offer
● Estimated net monthly salary: approximately EUR 2600 (subject to qualifications, age, and family circumstances).
● A PhD at KU Leuven; subject to approval, a joint PhD between KU Leuven and UHasselt
● Professional development opportunities include doctoral training, participation in (inter)national conferences, workshops, teaching, and collaboration within a dynamic, creative, and stimulating work environment at CLEP and REVAL. You’ll work alongside a team of international researchers, emphasizing the integration of clinical practice and scientific inquiry.
● Employment basis: Temporary contract for a specified period.
● Contract duration: 4 years (contingent upon a successful intermediate evaluation after 1 year).
● Maximum weekly working hours: 38.
● As a partner of the Dutch-Flemish postgraduate school Experimental Psychopathology (EPP) (https://epp-research.eu/), CLEP offers opportunities for additional courses and workshops covering various aspects of clinical psychology and psychopathology.
● Start date: Flexible but not later than 1 October 2025.
Interested?
For more information please contact Prof. dr. Filip Raes, tel.: +32 16 32 58 92, mail: filip.raes@kuleuven.be. Prof. dr. Jonas Zaman, tel.: +32 11 26 85 31, mail: jonas.zaman@uhasselt.be .
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