Student Assistant (m/f/x) for Neuroimaging Studies on Musical emotions

The Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) investigates why and how people create art and how they perform, experience, and evaluate it. The Institute’s focus is on music, but we also engage with other performing arts such as dance and film. The MPIEA explores the underlying genetic, biological, and psychological processes that underlie the production and perception of art, as well as their interaction with the cultural, social, and historical factors and functions of aesthetic practices and discourses.

The Research Group Neurocognition of Music and Language is inviting applications for two

Student Assistants (m/f/x)
each for 40 hours per month

to contribute to an ongoing research project led by Dr. Seung-Goo Kim in the field of cognitive neuroscience. The project investigates the subjective experience of musical emotions, using a variety of neuroimaging techniques including fMRI and EEG. We are looking for highly motivated and intellectually curious students, who are eager to support the project and gain hands-on research experience in a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment.

• Recruitment and scheduling of study participants;
• Support in preparing and conducting fMRI (at CoBIC) and/or EEG experiments (at MPIEA);
• Guiding participants during study procedures;
• Assisting in data documentation and management.

• Enrollment at a German university (Bachelor’s from 3rd semester or Master’s) in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science or a related field;
• Strong interest in cognitive neuroscience and willingness to learn new techniques;
• High degree of reliability and conscientiousness;
• Good command of both English and German;
• Familiarity with MS Office or other productivity tools;
• Experience in conducting psychological experiments is a big plus;
• Programming skills (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB, JavaScript, HTML, LaTeX) are a plus;
• Musical background is not required, but may be beneficial;

• A stimulating work environment in an international and interdisciplinary team;
• Access to cutting-edge technology and excellent research infrastructure;
• Support for students interested in pursuing a thesis in cognitive/affective neuroscience;
• Initial contract for one semester, with the possibility of extension.

The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diversity. We are also committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in our workforce. Therefore, applicants of all backgrounds are welcome.

Please send your application including your cover letter, CV, certificate of study, and references (if possible, submit materials in English) in a single PDF file, via our applicant management system.