PhD in Early Touch & Parent‑Infant Synchrony (2 positions)

About the role

KU Leuven offers two fully funded, full‑time PhD positions within a FWO‑supported project that bridges neonatology, developmental psychology and neuroscience. The research focuses on early non‑separation and immediate kangaroo care for very preterm infants and its impact on parent‑infant synchrony.

Key responsibilities

• Implement non‑separation and immediate kangaroo‑care protocols in the NICU.
• Collect dual parent‑infant measurements (EEG, ECG, hormones, behaviour) during care and follow‑up sessions at 6 and 14 months.
• Conduct longitudinal data collection, analysis and modelling of self‑regulation and co‑regulation dynamics.
• Publish findings in international journals and present at conferences.

Required profile

• PhD 1: Master’s in Medicine, Obstetrics, Midwifery or related field; flexibility to support preterm deliveries.
• PhD 2: Background in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences, Medicine or related; strong motivation for infant research.
• Excellent English academic writing; sufficient Dutch for family interaction.

Required skills

• Programming in R, Python or Matlab.
• Advanced statistical analysis.
• Experience or willingness to learn psychophysiological methods (EEG, ECG, hormone assays).

What we offer

• Full‑time PhD contract for an initial year, renewable up to four years.
• Competitive salary in line with university standards.
• Opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary team across neonatology and obstetrics.