Are you a research master’s student passionate about neuroscience, mental health, and
addiction research and looking for an internship?

We are looking for a motivated and detail-oriented research master student in the field of
psychology, neuroscience, or biomedical sciences (or any other related field) to join our
longitudinal MRI project exploring cannabis and alcohol use in individuals aged 16 to 35. Our
research focuses on the role of age in risk and resilience, using behavioral assessments and
neuroimaging.

Our data collection sessions consist of 2 hours of experiments and questionnaires related to
behavioral control, mental health, social influences, and substance use, as well as a 1-hour MRI
session. During our MRI session, we also record brain activity while participants are at rest.
We use these data to assess resting-state functional connectivity. As part of your internship,
you would get the opportunity to analyse data pertaining to this scan and write a thesis on this.
As an intern, you would further help with collecting and analysing fMRI data and assist with
participant recruitment. You’ll work closely with a supportive team at the Neuroscience of
Addiction Lab (www.nofaresearch.com) at Erasmus University Rotterdam, with data
collection taking place at the University of Amsterdam (REC).

Daily supervision will be provided by a PhD student, alongside regular meetings with a principal investigator. You would also be present during the Centre for Substance Use and Addiction Research
(www.cesarresearch.nl) monthly meetings, where a diverse group of addiction researchers
present and discuss their research.

Specifics:
– Start date: July 2026 (date is flexible)
– End date: February 2027
– Willingness to assist with data collection at the MRI lab in Amsterdam
– Involvement in recruitment of follow-up participants
– The chance to receive training and certification to become an MRI operator, enabling
you to independently scan participants
– Hands-on experience in analysing fMRI data
– A collaborative and supportive research environment within a diverse team of
addiction researchers.
We are looking for someone who ideally has some experience with:
– Programming
– Statistical modelling using complex datasets
– Applying artificial intelligence techniques

If you don’t have these skills yet but are highly motivated to develop them, and you’re able to
independently work through complex statistical techniques, please don’t hesitate to get in
touch.

If you are interested in joining our team, then please provide a short motivation letter and CV
via c.f.a.romein@uva.nl. And of course, feel free to reach out if you have any questions!