PHD

• PhD: Olfactory training for cognitive health - Plenty of variety and challenges - Pleasant working atmosphere - Time for personal development - Proper work-life balance Your job Please note: due to interaction with Dutch-speaking participants, fluency in Dutch is a must-have. As part of an NWO-Vici project, Wageningen University & Research is looking for a PhD candidate to set up and conduct intervention studies on olfactory training, cognition and brain plasticity. In this PhD project, you will study whether daily smell training can improve olfactory and cognitive functioning, and whether these effects can be strengthened by adding multisensory immersive Virtual Reality. You will work with older adults and patient groups, including individuals with mild cognitive impairment, and combine sensory testing, cognitive assessments, behavioral measurements and neuroimaging-related outcomes. About the PhD project Loss of smell is increasingly recognized as an early marker of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia. The olfactory system is closely connected to brain regions involved in memory and cognition, including the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. The olfactory bulb, the first central relay station for smell processing, may therefore play an important role in the link between olfactory functioning and cognitive health. Olfactory training is one of the few treatments currently available to improve smell function. Emerging evidence suggests that it may also have positive effects on cognitive functioning. However, it is still unclear whether these effects are sustained over time, whether they are present in people at increased risk of cognitive decline, and whether multisensory approaches can further enhance the benefits of training. The aim of this PhD project is to investigate whether standard and VR-supported olfactory training can improve olfactory function, cognitive functioning and related b...

How to apply

CV with attached letter,Online application form,Telephone Contact: Dr. Sanne Boesveldt | Tel: +31317480100 | Email: [email removed]