Research Assistants, Graduate Students (MA/PhD) & Postdoctoral Researchers

🧠 Resilience & Recovery Lab | PI: Dr. Ziv Ben-Zion

Start Date: October 2025 (flexible)

Location: School of Public Health, University of Haifa

Deadline: Rolling applications (priority by September 15, 2025)

More about the PI: https://campuspress.yale.edu/zivbenzion/

How do people adapt to adversity? Why do some recover and even grow after trauma, while others struggle for years?

The Resilience & Recovery Lab, funded by the ISF Beresheet grant and the Alon Fellowship, addresses these questions by uncovering the psychological, physiological, and neural mechanisms of stress resilience and recovery.

Our flagship project, STRONG (Stress and Trauma Resilience: Opportunities for National Growth), uses a tiered, multi-method design - spanning population-level surveys, lab experiments, and advanced neuroimaging - to model resilience as a dynamic, multi-level process.

Lab members will have access to:

• Longitudinal data from a nationally representative Israeli sample (N=4,000)
• Structural and functional neuroimaging (MRI Center at Rambam Hospital)
• Real-time physiological monitoring (HRV, skin conductance, eye-tracking)
• Experimental tasks (e.g., stress induction, reward/punishment learning, regulatory flexibility)
• Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and wearable data
• Machine learning and predictive modeling
• National and International collaborations

• Part-time or full-time (ideal for recent BA graduates)
• Involved in participant recruitment, behavioral testing, physiological and neural data collection
• Background in psychology, biology or neuroscience preferred
• Data analysis skills (Python, R, MATLAB) are a plus

• Supervision available in psychology, biology, neuroscience, or related fields
• Thesis projects involve data collection and analysis across multiple modalities: behavioral tasks, physiological monitoring, eye-tracking, ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and structural/functional MRI
• Involvement in writing scientific publications and contributing to cutting-edge resilience research

Requirements:

• Strong research and laboratory skills
• Proficiency in data analysis and analytical thinking
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• BA or BSc in a relevant field
• Prior research experience is a strong advantage

• Doctoral projects focus on identifying neural, physiological, behavioral, and cognitive mechanisms of stress resilience and recovery
• Involvement in all stages of research: study design and conceptualization, literature review, project setup, multi-level data collection, advanced analysis, scientific writing, and conference presentations.
• Work closely with national and international collaborators and contribute to high-impact, interdisciplinary science

Requirements:

• MA/MSc with a thesis in psychology, neuroscience, biology, cognitive science, or a related field
• Strong analytical and programming skills (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB)
• Previous experience in human subjects research, neuroimaging, or psychophysiology
• Excellent communication and scientific writing skills
• Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary collaboration and a long-term commitment to research excellence

• Lead independent and collaborative projects aligned with the STRONG research program on stress resilience and recovery
• Involvement in all stages of research: study design and conceptualization, literature review, project management, data collection (e.g., fMRI, physiological, EMA), advanced analysis, manuscript preparation, and international conference presentations
• Opportunities to publish in high-impact journals, mentor students, co-develop intervention tools, and build international collaborations
• Access to cutting-edge infrastructure and unique datasets

Requirements:

• PhD in psychology, biology, neuroscience, computer science, or a related field
• Demonstrated expertise in at least one relevant domain (e.g., neuroimaging, physiological data, behavioral experiments)
• Strong publication record and advanced data analysis/programming skills (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB, fMRI pipelines, machine learning, theory- and data-driven methods)
• Excellent scientific writing and communication skills
• Self-directed, collaborative, and motivated to contribute to both basic science and translational public health impact
• International applicants welcome; remote or hybrid work may be considered for exceptional candidates

Send your CV, a cover letter detailing research interests and fit (max 1-page), and contact details of two recommenders to: [email protected]

Please specify the role you’re applying for: (1) Research Assistant, (2) MA Student, (3) PhD Student, or (4) Postdoctoral Fellow.

Priority given to applications submitted by September 15, 2025. Rolling review until filled.