PhD (M/F) in Clinical Neuroscience, Neurophysiology, and Non-invasive Brain Stimulation

Job Description

Thesis Subject

A full description of the thesis is available on the EDISCE Doctoral School website at Université Grenoble Alpes (Thesis Offers page).

Stroke is the leading cause of acquired disability in adults [1]. The majority of stroke survivors experience upper limb motor impairment and also suffer from persistent cognitive deficits [2]. There is thus an urgent need to better understand the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying post-stroke motor and cognitive impairment and recovery. This understanding will facilitate the development of innovative neuotechnology-based treatments, such as non-invasive brain stimulation. Recent studies have observed abnormal and detrimental cortical dynamics in the ipsilesional motor cortex of acute stroke patients, characterized by the simplification and slowdown of neuronal activity [3,4]. It has been recently suggested that these degraded activities may be signatures of sleep-like cortical dynamics (SLCDs), typically observed during deep sleep or anesthesia [5]. Moreover, the attenuation of SLCDs, supported by a functional disinhibition phase fostering plasticity, has been found to be beneficial towards the subacute stages [4,6,7]. To date, SLCDs have been primarily studied within the primary motor cortex in stroke, and knowledge remains limited regarding: (i) the potential mid- and long-range propagation of SLCDs to other connected cortical areas in the acute and subacute stages, (ii) the relationship between SLCD propagation and motor and cognitive impairment and recovery, and (iii) the specific neurochemical and structural origins of post-stroke SLCDs. Furthermore, the observed reversibility of SLCDs and their beneficial clinical effects open new avenues for testing therapeutical interventions aimed at attenuating SLCDs and triggering a beneficial disinhibition phase in the early subacute stage.

The thesis is part of the SLEEPY-STROKE project, which aim is twofold: to better characterize SLCDs and to attenuate them via optimized non-invasive brain stimulation to promote stroke recovery. To this end, the project will leverage state-of-the-art multidimensional neuroimaging and non-invasive brain stimulation approaches within three complementary Work Packages. WP1 aims to characterize SLCDs through the longitudinal exploration of their intra-individual spatial extent (propagation) across the cortex in non-motor areas using robotized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation combined with scalp electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) [9,10]. We hypothesize that SLCD propagation in key cortical hubs associated with cognitive domains correlates with specific deficits, with a gradual reduction as recovery progresses. WP2 focuses on the motor domain and consists in a fine spatial mapping of SLCD presence over the motor network and the development and initial testing of an innovative rTMS-based treatment. We hypothesize that the spatial extent of SLCDs in the motor network serves as a proxy for motor impairment, particularly in fine motor skills (WP2.1), and that their attenuation through an accelerated and patient-tailored neuromodulation protocol [8], targeting the most impacted node, is a feasible and promising approach for enhancing motor recovery in the early subacute stage (WP2.2). Finally, WP3 explores the neurochemical and structural origins of motor SLCDs, using magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy and diffusion MR imaging performed in WPs 1 & 2. We expect that the presence and longitudinal attenuation of SLCDs will align with changes in the excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance and patient-specific (dis)connectome.
The thesis will focus on WP1 and WP2, concerning the topography of SLCDs using TMS-EEG and their attenuation through neuromodulation. The student will be trained in all stages of this type of clinical neuroscience research, from protocol implementation to data valorization. His/her mission will include supervising these two WPs, under the guidance of the principal investigator and the physicians from the stroke Unit at CHUGA. Depending on the project's progress and the student's capacity, participation in WP3 may also be considered.

[1] V. L. Feigin et al., Global, regional, and national burden of neurological disorders, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 , Lancet Neurol., vol. 18, no 5, p. 459‑480, mai 2019, doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30499-X.
[2] S. Barker-Collo, V. L. Feigin, V. Parag, C. M. M. Lawes, et H. Senior, Auckland Stroke Outcomes Study , Neurology, vol. 75, no 18, p. 1608‑1616, nov. 2010, doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181fb44c8.
[3] C. Tscherpel, S. Dern, L. Hensel, U. Ziemann, G. R. Fink, et C. Grefkes, Brain responsivity provides an individual readout for motor recovery after stroke , Brain J. Neurol., vol. 143, no 6, p. 1873‑1888, juin 2020, doi: 10.1093/brain/awaa127.
[4] S. Harquel et al., Stroke Recovery-Related Changes in Cortical Reactivity Based on Modulation of Intracortical Inhibition , Stroke, vol. 55, no 6, p. 1629‑1640, juin 2024, doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.045174.
[5] M. Massimini et al., Sleep-like cortical dynamics during wakefulness and their network effects following brain injury , Nat. Commun., vol. 15, no 1, p. 7207, août 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-51586-1.
[6] S. Harquel et al., Brain Oscillatory Modes as a Proxy of Stroke Recovery , Neurorehabil. Neural Repair, p. 15459683251363241, août 2025, doi: 10.1177/15459683251363241.
[7] S. Sarasso et al., The reduction of sleep-like perilesional cortical dynamics underlies clinical recovery in stroke , 16 mars 2024, medRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2024.03.16.24304272.
[8] E. J. Cole et al., Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy (SNT): A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial , Am. J. Psychiatry, vol. 179, no 2, p. 132‑141, févr. 2022, doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.20101429.
[9] U. Ziemann et al., Clinical utility and prospective of TMS–EEG: Updated review from an international expert group , Clin. Neurophysiol., p. 2111487, janv. 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2025.2111487.
[10] B. Passera, A. Chauvin, E. Raffin, T. Bougerol, O. David, et S. Harquel, Exploring the spatial resolution of TMS-EEG coupling on the sensorimotor region , NeuroImage, vol. 259, p. 119419, oct. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119419.

Your Work Environment

The student will be primarily affiliated with the LPNC, where they will have a permanent office and the necessary computer equipment for their work. For patient recruitment and the acquisition of neuroimaging and neurophysiology data, frequent travel to the EEG and NeuroStim platforms at the UAR IRMaGe (Dominique Villars Pavilion, CHUGA Nord site), as well as to the UNV at CHUGA (Neurology Pavilion), is expected.
The student will benefit from a secure financial context, as all project costs will be covered by the ANR. The ethical application is being finalized and will be submitted to the Ethics Committee (CPP) during the summer of 2026. An existing third-party methodological Ethics Committee approval will already cover the initial pilot studies upon the student's arrival in the team.

Constraints and risks

Required Profile and Skills

The candidate must hold a master's degree in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, or a related field, or an engineering degree in biomedical engineering, signal processing, or a related field. They must demonstrate a strong interest in the project, post-stroke recovery, and, more broadly, the development of neurotechnologies for a better understanding and treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Experience in neuroimaging (EEG, fMRI) and non-invasive neurostimulation (TMS, tDCS) will be highly valued, particularly in data acquisition, analysis, and/or interpretation. Prior knowledge of TMS-EEG coupling will be a significant asset.

The candidate must also have prior experience working with stroke patients (or patients in neurology or psychiatry), gained in a clinical or research setting.

The candidate must demonstrate scientific rigor and a critical mindset. The project will involve both teamwork, where strong interpersonal skills are expected, and independent work, where autonomy will be essential. A solid understanding of the ethical principles governing research involving human participants (research overseen by an Ethics Committee) and the rules of scientific integrity will also be required.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions