New Doctoral Programme of the Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research

June 21, 2016

The Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research has launched a new graduate program to train junior scientists in computational and statistical methods for the investigation of individual development across the lifespan. The focus is on methods that improve the description, explanation, and amelioration of individual development from childhood to old age.

The International Max Planck Research School on Computational Methods in Psychiatry and Ageing Research (IMPRS COMP2PSYCH) was launched on April 1, 2016. The graduate program is affiliated with the Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, with sites in London and Berlin. The Max Planck UCL Centre investigates the behavioural and neural underpinnings of vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, and of individual differences in cognitive development. In line with this objective, the new research school will teach and train concepts and methods from computer science, computational neuroscience, and statistics in relation to substantive research questions in psychiatry and lifespan psychology.

„We are very excited about the potential for high-quality supervision and scientific exchange between the institutions involved. One of our goals is to foster a culture where scientists plan a research stay at the respective partner institution in Berlin or London, ensuring the best possible experience for students,“ states Ray Dolan, director of the London site of the Centre, which is located at Russell Square near the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging.

The junior scientists complete a set program of courses, which is complemented by international summer schools and workshops for career advancement. „The graduate school will equip researchers with computational and statistical methods that permit them to delineate the mechanisms that drive individual development,” says Ulman Lindenberger, Honorary Professor at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and director of the Berlin site of the Centre, which is housed at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin-Dahlem.

IMPRS COMP2PSYCH will offer up to four doctoral positions per year to qualified national and international applicants in Berlin and London. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin also participates in the program. Students who have completed their Masters or Diploma in Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Cognitive Neurosciences, Psychology, or Psychiatry are encouraged to apply.

Speakers of the IMPRS COMP2PSYCH

  • Prof. Ray Dolan, PhD, Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London (Co-Speaker)
  • Prof. Dr. Ulman Lindenberger, Director of the Center for Lifespan Psychology at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Co-Speaker)
  • Prof. Peter Dayan, PhD, Director of the Gatsby Computational Science Unit at University College London (Deputy Co-Speaker)
  • Prof. Dr. Ralph Hertwig, Director of the Center for Adaptive Rationality at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Deputy Co-Speaker)

International Max Planck Research Schools
Since 2000, the International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) have become a permanent part of the Max Planck Society’s efforts to promote PhD students. Talented junior scientists are offered the opportunity to earn a doctorate under excellent research conditions. A shared characteristic of these graduate programs at Max Planck Institutes is the close collaboration with universities.

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