The role of cognitive maps in learning, memory and decision making

Postdoctoral research with Christian Doeller at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany. The group studies structured representations supporting navigation, episodic and working memory, learning and decision-making. Projects connect hippocampal population coding with knowledge representations and possible translation to Alzheimer’s disease. Approaches include high-field fMRI, MEG, EEG, virtual reality, psychophysics and computational models, including machine learning and deep neural networks. The project can be shaped around interdisciplinary interests.

Applicants need a PhD in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, biology, computer science, physics or a related field, strong programming skills, an excellent academic record and interest or experience in computational modelling. The September 2026 Max Planck Postdoc Program offers at least three years of employment and structured career development. Apply through the programme portal by 13 October 2026 at 12:00 Europe/Berlin (CEST). Create an account to access Apply and submit the required CV with publications, previous-research summary and statement of interest, following the portal’s full instructions.