PhD Candidate Reducing avoidance by altering threat imagery in panic disorder

Welcome to Maastricht University!

Can imagery rescripting reduce avoidance in panic disorder?  In this PhD project, you will join an interdisciplinary team and use therapeutic techniques and fundamental learning procedures to tackle distressing images related to aversive memories. The aim is to generate insights with direct impact on clinical practice and patient wellbeing.

PhD Candidate Reducing avoidance by altering threat imagery in panic disorder

• Our goal: This interdisciplinary project targets distressing flashbacks and flashforwards linked to panic disorder using imagery rescripting techniques. The project will combine experimental and clinical research to advance theory-driven treatment improvements.
• Your colleagues: You will work within a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary team across the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN, Maastricht), Mondriaan Mental Health Center (Maastricht), and Utrecht University (Clinical Psychology). The supervisory team consists of Prof. Dr. Iris Engelhard, Dr. Pauline Dibbets, Prof. Dr. Koen Schruers, and Dr. Angelos Krypotos. Together with experts from Oxford University and KU Leuven, this team provides an international, productive, collaborative, and interactive environment. The candidate will join the Dutch-Flemish Postgraduate School ‘Experimental Psychopathology’ (http://epp-research.eu), which will provide additional training and facilitate networking and collaboration with other researchers in the field of experimental psychopathology.

This PhD position is strategically positioned at the intersection of mental health research and treatment innovation. Your work will directly contribute to advancing mechanistic understanding and improving interventions for anxiety-related disorders and more specifically, for panic disorder.

What you do

• Design and execute qualitative and quantitative studies using a CO2 inhalation procedure;
• Implement the findings of these studies in a single-case experimental design (SCED);
• Test panic-prone participants as well as participants with panic disorder;
• Apply advanced statistical and computational modelling techniques to analyze the SCED data;
• Collaborate with clinical partners and interdisciplinary researchers;
• Disseminate research findings via scientific publications and presentations at national and international conferences;
• Contribute to a culture of open science and methodological rigor.

Are you ready to set the course for the years ahead? Then we’d love to meet you.

What you bring
We’re not looking for checkboxes; we’re interested in who you are and what you bring. Do you recognize yourself in this?

• Education background: You have a (research) master’s degree in a relevant field, including psychology, health sciences, biomedical sciences, or neuroscience.
• Research mindset and experimental research experience: You have experience with designing and conducting experimental research, including formulating research questions, developing or implementing experimental procedures, and collecting and interpreting research data. You have a strong interest in experimental and clinical research, particularly in anxiety-related disorders, learning processes, mental imagery, and related areas.
• Programming, statistical and analytical skills: You have experience with, (or affinity for) programming and implementing experimental tasks and procedures. This includes, for example, developing, adapting or running computer-based experiments and collecting experimental data. You also have experience with, or a strong willingness to develop, skills in advanced statistical methods and quantitative data analysis. Experience with computational modelling, single-case experimental designs (SCED), repeated-measures data, and/or experimental data analysis is highly desirable.
• Clinical affinity: You have an interest in clinical psychology, clinical populations and psychological interventions. You are motivated to conduct research with panic-prone participants and/or participants with panic disorder and to translate experimental research findings into clinically relevant insights and treatment improvements.
• Communication skills: Excellent proficiency and communication skills in English language, both verbally as well as in writing. Proficiency in Dutch is considered a strong advantage.
• Collaborative attitude: You enjoy working in an interdisciplinary research environment and collaborating with researchers, clinical partners and other academic and clinical stakeholders.

What we offer
At Maastricht University, you’ll work in an international, open, and engaged environment. We offer:

• A 12-month contract (0.8 FTE) with the prospect of a 4 year extension, based on mutual satisfaction
• A gross monthly salary between € 3.204 and € 4.051 (based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week). 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus.
• 29 vacation days (based on full-time), four additional days off (Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day), and the possibility to accrue up to 12 extra days through compensation hours.
• A close-knit community of colleagues to collaborate and grow with.
• A solid pension plan via ABP, company fitness schemes, and access to various university sports facilities.
• An inspiring work environment in the heart of Europe.

About the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN)
At FPN, we share a curiosity about the human brain and behavior. Together with our students, we explore how our brains function and learn why we do what we do. We connect perspectives and contribute to living together in society.

Interested?
Want to know more about this position or what it’s like to work at our university? Reach out to Prof. dr. Iris Engelhard at iris.engelhard@maastrichtuniversity.nl or to Dr. Pauline Dibbets at pauline.dibbets@Maastrichtuniversity.nl or via +31433881597. The deadline for submitting your application is 4 October 2026.

If you apply, please include:

• Please upload a full CV, motivation letter, and academic transcripts
• Include contact details of (at least) two referees (recommendation letters are optional)

The preferred starting date of this PhD project is end of November 2026 (but this is negotiable).

The first interviews will be held end October/ beginning of November.

Apply now via the button below. We look forward to getting to know you!

About Maastricht University
At Maastricht University, we collaboratively seek solutions to help move the world forward. We do this with 23,300 students and 5,400 employees across 5 regional locations, 6 faculties, and more than 70 research institutes. We encourage you to push boundaries and discover new opportunities for yourself and the world around you. Together, we can find the answers for tomorrow.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

At Maastricht University, we prefer to contact potential candidates directly. We therefore kindly ask that no agencies or intermediaries submit offers or approaches.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.