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Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung - CAAN

The Center for Affective and Automatic Neuroscience (CAAN) investigates how the affective and autonomic changes of adulthood shape cognition, emotion, and the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease — and how safe, scalable physiological interventions can influence these trajectories. The program integrates four strands:

  • Emotion–cognition interactions in aging: mapping the brain mechanisms that allow older adults to maintain emotional well-being despite the physiological changes of aging.
  • Brainstem imaging methods: developing next-generation 7T multimodal measures of locus coeruleus structure and function.
  • Autonomic trajectories from age 20–60: the first longitudinal study to track parasympathetic decline and sympathetic shifts across this age range alongside Alzheimer’s biomarkers and locus coeruleus functional and structural measures, testing whether midlife autonomic changes trigger the earliest pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Causal tests of how autonomic activity can influence brain health and Alzheimer’s risk using breathing interventions: randomized trials using slow-paced and 4-7-8 breathing to influence autonomic balance and measure downstream effects on AD biomarkers, cerebrovascular reactivity, emotion, and cognition.

Student Employee (f/m/d)
(36 – 86,96 Hrs. / Month)

Tasks:

The Center for Affective and Autonomic Neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development Berlin is looking for a

Student Employee (f/m/d)
(36 – 86,96 Hrs. / Month)

to support the programming, piloting, and implementation of an experiment investigating the effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on pupil size in young and older adults. The hired person will be primarily responsible for programming the PsychoPy task for the experiment. They may also be involved in another project in which time series analysis will be conducted.

Requirements:

We are searching for:

  • A highly motivated, organized, detail-oriented, and reliable student of psychology (all semesters) or a related subject.
  • Good to very good scripting skills in Python or other programming languages (e.g., R, MATLAB).
  • Experience with PsychoPy programming and/or eye-tracking is a plus.
  • Very good English and German (C1: writing & speaking) and interpersonal/communication skills.
  • Good Dutch language skills (B2 level in reading and writing) are a plus.
  • Interest in cognitive neuroscience.
  • Experience with time series analysis is a plus.

What we offer:

We offer:

  • Work in an international team.
  • Flexible working hours; gross 16.50€ or 17.17€/hour depending on qualifications.
  • Insight into all stages of the preparation and implementation of studies on neuromodulation and psychophysiology in aging.

How to apply:

Applicants must be enrolled at a German university and be full-time students.
The entry date is October 1, 2026.

The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diversity. We welcome applications from all backgrounds. The Max Planck Society has set itself the goal of employing more severely disabled people. Applications from people with severe disabilities are expressly encouraged.

Please send your application with a cover letter, CV (without photo), certificate of enrolment to the university, bachelor's or intermediate examination certificates, high school diploma and job references (if available) in one PDF file by email to sekmather@mpib-berlin.mpg.de.

The data protection declaration for the processing of personal data within the scope of your application can be found here:
https://www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/1589569/en_infos_bewerbung.pdf