PhD Candidate
We are looking for a PhD candidate for the project “The Power of Modulating Emotional Memory in Mental Health Treatment”. This project entails a collaboration between the University of Amsterdam and Maastricht University as part of a ZonMw-funded project on the (un)desired effects of manipulating emotional memories in mental health treatment.
As a part of this project, you will investigate the optimal conditions and underlying mechanisms of Imagery Rescripting, a treatment aimed at alleviating distressing memories. You will begin by examining how different rescripting strategies reduce the impact of emotional memories, and whether these changes in memory predict subsequent symptom reduction in a student population. This work will be followed by replication studies in clinical populations using Single-Case Experimental Designs. In doing so, the project integrates tightly controlled experimental paradigms with real-world clinical data, bridging basic memory research and clinical practice with the aim of generating findings that directly inform and enhance psychological interventions.
What are you going to do
- Design and conduct multiple experiments testing the differential effects of Imagery Rescripting strategies on autobiographical emotional memories;
- Deliver Imagery Rescripting interventions to participants;
- Conduct Single-Case Experimental Designs (SCEDs) to replicate findings in clinical populations;
- Analyse behavioural outcomes and time series data from experimental studies and SCEDs;
- Supervise students during data collection, collaborate with therapists and clinical institutes, translate findings into scientific publications, and contribute to the implementation of these findings in clinical practice.
What do you have to offer
- A completed (or nearly completed) (research) Master’s degree in psychology or clinical psychology;
- Availability starting September 2026;
- Demonstrable experience or affinity with experimental research and clinical psychology research;
- Motivation to collaborate with researchers and clinical psychologists, with the ability to work independently and accurately;
- Dutch B1 proficiency, or a commitment to learn in the first year(s) of the project.
What else do we offer you
This is a temporary position for 38 hours per week. The initial contract is for one year. Following a positive evaluation and unchanged circumstances, the contract will be extended to a total of 4 years, ultimately leading to the completion of a PhD.
We will develop a training plan, which includes attending courses and (international) conferences. You will also contribute to teaching at the bachelor and master level.
You will work here
You will be employed at the Department of Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, within the Clinical Psychology program group. In addition, you will be part of the larger ZonMw funded consortium based in Amsterdam and Maastricht (PI: Prof. dr. Merel Kindt).
Are you interested in how emotional autobiographical memories shape mental health, and how we can target these memories during treatment? Are you passionate about bridging experimental research and clinical practice by combining experimental paradigms with clinical phenomena to improve treatment effectiveness?
PhD Candidate
We are looking for a PhD candidate for the project “The Power of Modulating Emotional Memory in Mental Health Treatment”. This project entails a collaboration between the University of Amsterdam and Maastricht University as part of a ZonMw-funded project on the (un)desired effects of manipulating emotional memories in mental health treatment.
As a part of this project, you will investigate the optimal conditions and underlying mechanisms of Imagery Rescripting, a treatment aimed at alleviating distressing memories. You will begin by examining how different rescripting strategies reduce the impact of emotional memories, and whether these changes in memory predict subsequent symptom reduction in a student population. This work will be followed by replication studies in clinical populations using Single-Case Experimental Designs. In doing so, the project integrates tightly controlled experimental paradigms with real-world clinical data, bridging basic memory research and clinical practice with the aim of generating findings that directly inform and enhance psychological interventions.
What are you going to do
- Design and conduct multiple experiments testing the differential effects of Imagery Rescripting strategies on autobiographical emotional memories;
- Deliver Imagery Rescripting interventions to participants;
- Conduct Single-Case Experimental Designs (SCEDs) to replicate findings in clinical populations;
- Analyse behavioural outcomes and time series data from experimental studies and SCEDs;
- Supervise students during data collection, collaborate with therapists and clinical institutes, translate findings into scientific publications, and contribute to the implementation of these findings in clinical practice.
What do you have to offer
- A completed (or nearly completed) (research) Master’s degree in psychology or clinical psychology;
- Availability starting September 2026;
- Demonstrable experience or affinity with experimental research and clinical psychology research;
- Motivation to collaborate with researchers and clinical psychologists, with the ability to work independently and accurately;
- Dutch B1 proficiency, or a commitment to learn in the first year(s) of the project.
What else do we offer you
This is a temporary position for 38 hours per week. The initial contract is for one year. Following a positive evaluation and unchanged circumstances, the contract will be extended to a total of 4 years, ultimately leading to the completion of a PhD.
We will develop a training plan, which includes attending courses and (international) conferences. You will also contribute to teaching at the bachelor and master level.
You will work here
You will be employed at the Department of Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, within the Clinical Psychology program group. In addition, you will be part of the larger ZonMw funded consortium based in Amsterdam and Maastricht (PI: Prof. dr. Merel Kindt).
If you recognize yourself in this profile and are interested in the position, we look forward to receiving your motivation letter (maximum one page), CV and the name of two referees (working in academia) as a PDF file. You can apply via the red button untilMay 1st, 2026. Interviews will take place on May 26th 2026.
For questions about the position, please contact:
Dr. Lotte Stemerding (l.e.stemerding@uva.nl)
Dr. Sophie Rameckers (s.a.rameckers@uva.nl)
