Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Fully Funded PostDoc Position 2026

Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI-CBS) invite applications for a fully funded 4-year postdoctoral position funded by the Max Planck Society to join the team of Christian Doeller at the Department of Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI-CBS), Leipzig, Germany.

You will work at the forefront of cognitive neuroscience in a highly interdisciplinary and international environment, with access to world-class facilities and a vibrant scientific community.
You will investigate the cross-domain functions of the perirhinal cortex in a project in close collaboration with Prof. Patric Meyer (SRH University Heidelberg/Heidelberg University) and Dr. Andrej Bicanski (MPI-CBS, Leipzig).

Start date: Flexible

What we study

• The research investigates how the brain builds, organizes, and uses structured representations to support cognition across domains. Under this umbrella, we explore.
• Spatial navigation, temporal, episodic, and working memory
• Learning, decision making, and knowledge acquisition
• Translational research on population coding and Alzheimer’s disease

Key research methods: fMRI (including 7T), MEG, virtual reality (VR), a wide variety of cognitive tasks, psychophysics, machine learning, deep neural networks, and computational modelling.

Within the Department, we maintain strong synergies with the Neural Computation Group (PI: Andrej Bicanski), which develops mechanistic computational models of brain function and behavior. We also have long-term collaborations with the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience in Trondheim, Norway.

Project for this call

The position is embedded in a research program investigating the cross-domain functions of the perirhinal cortex, in close collaboration with Prof. Patric Meyer (SRH University Heidelberg/Heidelberg University) whose work focuses on perirhinal contributions to familiarity, semantic integration, and rapid concept learning and Dr. Andrej Bicanski (MPI-CBS, Leipzig). The project combines computational modelling, high-resolution 7 Tesla fMRI, multivariate neuroimaging analyses, and experimental paradigms from cognitive neuroscience. The overarching aim is to understand how the perirhinal cortex supports complex object, concept, and associative representations across different cognitive domains, including memory, perception, semantic cognition, concept learning, and familiarity-based recognition memory. A major goal is to develop and test computational models of perirhinal cortex function that can reconcile its diverse roles across memory, perception, and semantic cognition within a unified mechanistic framework.

Core questions include:

• How does the perirhinal cortex represent complex conjunctions of object features?
• How does it support familiarity-based recognition and semantic integration?
• Are perirhinal representations domain-specific, or do they support cross-domain computations across memory, perception, semantics, and decision-making?
• Can the diverse functions of PC, implied by experiments, be reconciled with a single computational account? How can high-resolution 7T fMRI and MVPA be used to characterize fine-grained representational formats in the anterior medial temporal lobe?

• Table of Content
• About Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science
• Fully Funded PostDoc Position Fellowship
• Aim and Benefits of Fully Funded PostDoc Position Fellowship
• Requirements for Fully Funded PostDoc Position Fellowship Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

Fully Funded PostDoc Position Fellowship

Aim and Benefits of Fully Funded PostDoc Position Fellowship

This is a fully funded, 4-year postdoctoral position (with the possibility of a 1-year extension) in the research group of Christian Doeller.

The position offers an exceptional opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research in an international, cross-disciplinary, and intellectually stimulating environment. As a member of the DoellerLab, you will collaborate with outstanding scientists in an open, supportive, intellectually stimulating, and high-performance environment.

Research Infrastructure:

You will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, including:

• Four 3T MR scanners and one 7T MR scanner
• MEG, EEG, VR labs, psychophysics & eye-tracking facilities
• Access to neurological patients via the Day Clinic for Cognitive Neurology at Leipzig University Hospital as part of collaborative projects

Academic & Leadership Development – DoellerLab:

• Personalized mentoring, including tailored support for scientific and career development
• Opportunity to work towards developing independent research directions and engage in interdisciplinary collaboration
• Opportunity to co-supervise undergraduate and PhD students and contribute to training the next generation of scientists
• Support for presenting research at leading international conferences, including opportunities for visibility and networking (independent travel budget)
• Targeted career development planning, including external academic or industry mentors
• Access to career development workshops, coaching, and training
• Access to leading scientific networks

Compensation & Inclusion:

• Salary is based on the regulations of the Max Planck Society and is commensurate with experience.
• We support flexible working arrangements, work–life balance, and family-friendly working conditions, including parental support measures where applicable.
• We are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion and welcome applications from all backgrounds.
• We offer flexible working arrangements and support a healthy work–life balance.
• We are committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in our workforce and encourage applications from such individuals.

Life in Leipzig:

Leipzig is a vibrant city that has been called “Germany’s new cultural hot spot” by The Guardian and is listed as one of the places to go by The New York Times. It has a rich tradition in classical music, academic education, and—more recently—the modern arts. Leipzig is home to three Max Planck Institutes.

Requirements for Fully Funded PostDoc Position Fellowship Qualification

Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI-CBS) is looking for outstanding early-career scientists who bring fresh ideas, deep curiosity, and a collaborative mindset.
You should have:

• A PhD in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, biology, computer science, physics, or a related field
• Strong interest in the functional organization of the medial temporal lobe, particularly the perirhinal cortex
• Good knowledge of multivariate fMRI analysis approaches such as MVPA, RSA, pattern classification, or related techniques
• Interest in or experience with computational modelling
• Strong programming skills
• Excellent academic track record
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• We value scientific ambition, creativity, openness, and strong communication skills.
• Experience with 7 Tesla fMRI or high-resolution neuroimaging and knowledge of anterior medial temporal lobe anatomy and segmentation would be a plus. 

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Applications will be evaluated based on scientific merit and research potential.
Please submit (in one pdf file):

• A cover letter
• CV
• A max. 2-page research proposal that clearly aligns with the project described above, demonstrating how your ideas fit within and contribute to this research direction

Contact details of three referees (to be contacted after initial review)

Applications must be submitted by August 17, 2026 via the online portal (reference number “PostDoc 04/26”).
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]. 

For more information, kindly visit Max Planck Institute webpage.