Postdoctoral Fellow | Center for Affective and Autonomic Neuroscience

Job Offer valid until July 27, 2026

At the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, we study how and why people develop differently over the course of their lives, and how physical, societal, and technological aspects of the environment shape this process. Working across disciplines such as psychology, neuroscience, computer science, economics, and sociology, we do research within a context that fosters academic freedom, curiosity, and collaborative work to generate insights that help shape living conditions for individuals and societies to thrive. We combine pioneering interdisciplinary research infrastructures with local and inter-national collaboration to generate knowledge that strengthens individuals and society. Our vision is that of a healthy environment and an open society that allows individuals to realize their potential.

The to-be-established Center for Affective and Autonomic Neuroscience (CAAN) at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow (EG 13 TVöD; 39 hours/week) to test the causes and consequences of large autonomic changes across adulthood using rich, previously collected longitudinal datasets, as well as helping to plan and analyze new datasets. The position is a four-year fixed-term contract. The start date could be anytime from September 1, 2026 through the first half of 2027.

This is a role at the intersection of physiology, computational analysis, and aging neuroscience. Autonomic function shifts dramatically across the adult lifespan, yet these midlife changes are largely missing from current models of aging. High-frequency heart rate variability—a primary index of parasympathetic (vagal) activity—is roughly 80% lower at age 60 than at age 20, while resting sympathetic nerve activity approximately doubles over the same period (for more information, see Mather, 2024, "The emotion paradox in the aging body and brain"). The mechanisms driving these changes, and their downstream consequences for the brain and body, remain poorly understood.

Job Description

• Design and conduct longitudinal analyses linking autonomic measures (cardiac vagal control, sympathetic activity) to health, brain, and molecular biomarkers.
• Build and maintain reproducible pipelines to clean, harmonize, and integrate multi-modal data across waves and cohorts.
• Process and analyze cardiac signals, including spectral decomposition of heart rate variability.
• Integrate autonomic measures with neuroimaging and/or molecular data to probe mechanism.
• Lead manuscripts, present at conferences, and contribute to grant writing.
• Collaborate within a multidisciplinary team and mentor junior trainees.

Requirements

• PhD (or equivalent) in psychology, neuroscience, physiology, biomedical engineering, epidemiology, statistics, or a related field.
• Strong applied statistics, including methods for longitudinal / repeated-measures data (e.g., mixed-effects and growth-curve models, time-to-event, or related approaches).
• Ability to independently learn new quantitative methods.
• Proficient programming and data-wrangling skills (e.g., R, Python) for building analysis pipelines on complex, multi-wave datasets.
• A track record of first-author scholarly work and strong scientific writing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with spectral analysis and signal processing of heart rate / ECG data (e.g., frequency-domain HRV).
• Experience with MRI data (structural, functional, and/or related preprocessing pipelines).
• Experience with proteomic data or other high-dimensional molecular datasets.
• Experience harmonizing data across cohorts; familiarity with version control and reproducible-research practices.

Our Offer

In this role, you would benefit from:

• Access to rich multimodal datasets, including longitudinal LC and brainstem MRI, CSF and plasma biomarkers, proteomics, autonomic physiology, and clinical trial outcomes.
• Close collaboration with researchers with complementary expertise within CAAN.
• Support from a data collection staff team.
• Support and mentoring for publications, grant applications and career development.

The Institute provides a stimulating, international work environment with an engaged, collegial team in Berlin Dahlem. In addition, the following benefits are available:

• Access to the training programs offered by the Planck Academy of the MPG
• Flexible working hours
• Possibility to work remotely (up to 40%, depending on work processes)
• Annual bonus payment in accordance with the TVöD (German public sector pay scale); 30 days of vacation, plus December 24 and 31 off
• Daycare partnerships with dedicated places; a parent-child room at the institute
• Excellent public transport connections (U3 Breitenbachplatz, barrier-free)
• Jobticket
• Institute canteen and biodiverse institute garden
• Various offers related to “health in the workplace” (e.g., fitness room, massage services, yoga classes)
• Extensive support services, e.g., International Office, Disability Office, Gender Equality Office, mental health support
• Diversity-sensitive working environment (e.g., meetups, networking, accessible and gender-neutral toilets)

Diversity and Inclusion

The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diversity. Diversity, equity, and inclusion enrich our society and foster scientific excellence. We are committed to increasing the number of women in areas in which they are underrepresented and employing more people with disabilities. We welcome applications from people who belong to groups that are often underrepresented in the workplace due to, among other factors, age, disability/chronic illness, ethnicity, gender identity, and religion.

You can find out more about our commitment to diversity and the accommodations available to meet your individual needs by visiting our website:

www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/diversity

Your Application

Please use our recruitment platform for your application. We also accept applications via email (sekmather@mpib-berlin.mpg.de) or by post (MPI for Human Development, Sandra Schmidt, Lentzeallee 94, 14195 Berlin). The application should include the following documents in a single PDF file: a cover letter describing your research interests, your CV, relevant certificates, and, if available, a representative preprint or publication. Please submit your application without a photo. Applications must be submitted by July 27, 2026 to ensure consideration. However, review of applications will continue until the position is filled. If you have any questions about the position advertised, please contact Mara Mather, mather@mpib-berlin.mpg.de.