Last application date Jul 05, 2026 23:59
Department PP07 - Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology
Degree Master’s degree in psychology or a related discipline
Occupancy rate 100%
Vacancy type Research staff
ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY
About Ghent University:
Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management, and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.
YOUR TASKS
Project description:
At Ghent university, in the Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, we are looking for a full-time PhD student as part of an FWO-funded project: 'MindBreath: A Synergistic Growth Mindsets and Resonant Breathing Intervention to Foster Stress Resilience in Adolescence'.
In recent years, stress-related symptoms such as anxiety and depression have surged among adolescents, raising urgent questions about how to better support adolescent mental well-being. The cognitive flexibility and heightened biological plasticity during adolescence offer a unique opportunity to foster adaptive changes and develop new skills that may help manage stress. This project proposes a novel mind–body intervention targeting both adolescents' mindsets and cardiac vagal activity through slow-paced breathing as an effective approach to reducing stress-related symptoms via synergistic effects. We aim to conduct a randomized controlled trial comparing multiple conditions: mindsets-only, breathing-only, mindsets + breathing, and active control conditions. This study will comprehensively examine the psychological and physiological mechanisms underlying the effects of mindsets and slow-paced breathing, including cognitive beliefs, physiological responses (e.g., heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity), daily stress dynamics, and the downregulation of inflammatory activity. A multimethod approach will be used, consisting of questionnaires, physiological measures at rest and during a standardized laboratory assessment, and experience sampling assessments. Participants will be recruited via secondary schools, with a target sample of approximately 450 participants.
This project is a collaboration between the Department of Developmental, Personality, and Social Psychology (with Prof. Dr. Matteo Giletta and Dr. Nathalie Michels as supervisors; Phaselab) and the Department of Head and Skin (with Prof. Dr. Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt; Gheplab).
Your role:
The PhD student will be responsible for all phases of the project, including:
- Receiving ethical approval for the studies, recruiting participants, preparing data collection (e.g., setting up questionnaire), collecting data, coordinating with the app developer.
- Data analysis using complex state-of-the-art analytic techniques in R and/or Mplus.
- Dissemination of research findings in the form of peer-reviewed scientific articles, conference presentations, and a doctoral dissertation.
- Science dissemination (e.g., preparation of infographics, videoclips).
Moreover, the PhD student will participate in some educational activities, including supervising master thesis students.
The project will be closely supervised by the PhD promotor and a postdoctoral researcher. Additionally, master's students will assist with data collection. Data will be gathered in schools across West and East Flanders using equipment provided by the research team.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Your profile:
- An appropriate degree (preferably a research master and minimum cum laude) in Psychology or a related discipline. The degree requirements must be fulfilled at the start of the job appointment.
- Initiative-taking, inquisitive, and passionate about research, strongly interested in the project’s main topics, including adolescent mental health and psychophysiological processes.
- Evidence of very good(scientific) writing and communication skills. Note that the PhD student is expected to write scientific publications (in English) for peer-reviewed journals and present their work at (international) conferences.
- High proficiency in both English and Dutch (oral and written).
- Well-organized, independent, proactive but also open to feedback and able to work in a team (e.g., with the supervisor and other PhD students.
- Experience and strong motivation in collecting data in a school context, especially intensive longitudinal data (e.g., experience sampling data).
- Knowledge and experience with analysing complex nested data (e.g., multilevel data) in R and/or Mplus is desirable (however, note that eagerness and an excellent predisposition to learn how to work with these data is a basic requirement).
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
- We offer you a full-time positions as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months and will start no later than October 1st.
- The PhD student will work at the Dunant campus (UGent) and be part of an interdisciplinary team. They will have the opportunity to attend international conferences and to spend a research stay abroad in other research labs.
- The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status an seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales.
- All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of paid leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle commuting allowance and ecocheques, etc. A complete overview of all our fringe benefits.
INTERESTED?
How to apply:
Applications must be submitted in English and should include in a single PDF file:
- A detailed CV
- A copy of the diploma, with a summary of the individual study results for all years of study
- A motivation letter (maximum two pages, double-spaced, font 12) explaining why the student is interested in this position
- Contact information of (at least) two (academic) referees
Applications should be sent via email directly to prof. Matteo Giletta ([email protected]), with email subject “PhD position FWO MindBreath”, by July 5th 2026 (23:59 Brussels Time). After an initial screening, interview invites will be sent with the interviews planned on July 13th - 16th.
For additional information about this vacancy, please contact prof. Matteo Giletta ([email protected]).
