PhD Student

About Ghent University:
Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management, and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

Project description:
At Ghent university, in the Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, we are looking for a full-time PhD student as part of an FWO-funded project (BREATHE: Breathing Regulation for Emotion and Teenage Health Everyday).
In recent years, stress-related symptoms such as anxiety and depression have surged among adolescents, raising urgent questions about how to better support adolescent mental well-being. In this project, we aim to explore a promising, yet unexplored, alternative: resonant breathing, a slow-paced breathing technique designed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system—the body’s natural “brake” on stress. Resonant breathing has the potential to be a simple, scalable, and low-cost intervention that can be seamlessly integrated into adolescents’ daily lives. Building on insights into adolescent physiological plasticity, this project aims to investigate how resonant breathing can enhance adolescent stress resilience and health.
This project aims to address this fundamental gap by (a) implementing a large randomized controlled trial, and (b) involving stakeholders (adolescents, teachers, parents, organizations) via focus group interviews. In a first phase, we will collect qualitative data via focus groups to identify the best conditions for a feasible intervention. Subsequently, the controlled trial will test the immediate and longer-term benefits of resonant breathing on momentary affect and stress-related symptoms in 250 high-risk adolescents by delivering resonant breathing in adolescents’ daily life via a mental health app during a 2-week period. Pre- and post-measurements include mental health, psychophysiology, daily life emotion dynamic (via ecological momentary assessment) and objective measures of sleep. Finally, interviews with stakeholders will also be organized to evaluate the process and explore future implementations. Other empirical studies will be conducted to examine how and when adolescents may more strongly benefit from resonant breathing exercises. Together, this research will offer unique knowledge for tailoring intervention and prevention programs in several youth contexts.
This project is proudly supported by the youth platform JEZ!, and is a collaboration between the Department of Developmental, Personality, and Social Psychology (with Prof. Dr. Matteo Giletta and Dr. Nathalie Michels as supervisors; Phaselab) and the Department of Head and Skin (with Prof. Dr. Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt; Gheplab).

Job profile

Your role:

• The PhD student will be responsible for all phases of the project, including:
• Receiving ethical approval for the studies, recruiting participants, preparing data collection (e.g., setting up questionnaire), collecting both qualitative and quantitative data, coordinating with the app developer.
• Data analysis, including both qualitative and especially quantitative data analyses, using complex state-of-the-art analytic techniques (in R and/or Mplus).
• Dissemination of research findings in the form of peer-reviewed scientific articles, conference presentations, and a doctoral dissertation.
• Science dissemination (e.g., preparation of infographics, videoclips).

Moreover, the PhD student will participate in some educational activities, including supervising master thesis students.

The project will be closely supervised by the PhD promotor and a postdoctoral researcher. Additionally, master’s students will assist with data collection. Data will be gathered in schools across West and East Flanders using equipment provided by the research team.

Your profile:

• An appropriate degree (preferably a research master and minimum cum laude) in Psychology or a related discipline. The degree requirements must be fulfilled at the start of the job appointment.
• Initiative-taking, inquisitive, and passionate about research, strongly interested in the project’s main topics, including adolescent mental health and psychophysiological processes.
• Evidence of very good(scientific) writing and communication skills. Note that the PhD student is expected to write scientific publications (in English) for peer-reviewed journals and present their work at (international) conferences.
• High proficiency in both English and Dutch (oral and written).
• Well-organized, independent, proactive but also open to feedback and able to work in a team (e.g., with the supervisor and other PhD students.
• Experience and strong motivation in collecting data in a school context, especially intensive longitudinal data (e.g., experience sampling data).
• Knowledge and experience with analysing complex nested data (e.g., multilevel data) in R and/or Mplus is desirable (however, note that eagerness and an excellent predisposition to learn how to work with these data is a basic requirement).

What we can offer you:

• The PhD appointment is full-time for 4 years (contingent on a positive evaluation after the first 12 months) and will start no later than October 1st. The PhD student will work at the Dunant campus (UGent) and be part of an interdisciplinary team. They will have the opportunity to attend international conferences and to spend a research stay abroad in other research labs.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

How to apply

How to apply:
Applications must be submitted in English and should include in a single PDF file:

• A detailed CV
• A copy of the diploma, with a summary of the individual study results for all years of study
• A motivation letter (maximum two pages, double-spaced, font 12) explaining why the student is interested in this position
• Contact information of (at least) two (academic) referees

Applications should be sent via email directly to prof. Matteo Giletta (matteo.giletta@ugent.be), with email subject “PhD position FWO JEZ Breathing”, by July 6th 2025 (23:59 Brussels Time). After an initial screening, interview invites will be sent with the interviews planned on July 14th – 17th.
For additional information about this vacancy, please contact prof. Matteo Giletta (matteo.giletta@ugent.be)