PhD Position in Behavioral Sciences (Psychology, Behavioral Ecology, and Psychoneuroimmunology): Perception of Disease Cues and Social Avoidance in Humans (M/F)

Job Description

Thesis Subject

* PHD PROJECT DESCRIPTION *
Humans are constantly exposed to pathogens in their social environment. In addition to physiological immunity, a behavioral immune system enables the detection of infection risks and promotes the avoidance of potentially contagious individuals. While its adaptive function is well established, the mechanisms linking subtle cues of illness to behavioral and physiological responses remain poorly understood. Recent studies suggest that exposure to disease-related cues can activate anticipatory immune responses, but they have primarily focused on obvious or extreme cues, neglecting early and subtle signals, which are nevertheless the most relevant for preventing transmission in everyday social interactions.

This PhD project is part of the SOCIAL-EXPO project (“Mapping the Human Social Exposome”, PI: Arnaud Tognetti), funded by the CNRS MITI program. It aims to investigate, in an integrative manner, how the perception of early and subtle disease cues, social avoidance behaviors, and physiological and immune responses interact and vary depending on individual immune competence. This interdisciplinary project lies at the intersection of experimental psychology, evolutionary biology, and immunology. It is based on close collaboration between several CNRS laboratories in evolutionary biology (ISEM, Montpellier), economics (CEE-M, Montpellier), and neuroscience (CRNL, Lyon).

* OBJECTIVES *
• assess the impact of subtle disease cues on social avoidance behaviors (e.g., regulation of interpersonal distance, approach–avoidance decisions);
• examine the relationship between the perception of these sensory cues and (i) associated physiological responses and (ii) the activation of anticipatory immune responses;
• test whether increased immune vulnerability is associated with heightened sensitivity to disease cues and with amplified behavioral, physiological, and immune responses.

* ACTIVITIES *
The selected candidate will conduct an interdisciplinary research program combining behavioral ecology, experimental psychology, and psychoneuroimmunology. Main activities include:
• designing and conducting laboratory experiments with human participants;
• developing immersive virtual reality protocols to simulate realistic social interactions;
• collecting behavioral data (interpersonal distance regulation, approach–avoidance tasks) and perceptual judgments;
• recording psychophysiological measures (electrodermal activity, pupil dilation, heart rate);
• collecting and analyzing biological samples (saliva, blood) to assess immune or hormonal markers;
• performing statistical analyses (including mixed models and multivariate approaches);
• writing scientific articles and presenting results at international conferences.

* REQUIRED DEGREE / FIELD *
Master's degree (or equivalent) in one of the following fields:
• Behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology
• Psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, cognitive science, or related disciplines
• Evolutionary anthropology

* SKILLS / QUALIFICATIONS *
The following are considered essential:
• a strong interest in interdisciplinary research at the interface of psychology, evolutionary biology, and medical sciences;
• skills in experimental design;
• proficiency in statistical analysis and data analysis tools (e.g., R);
• strong organizational skills, rigor, autonomy, and ability to work in a team;
• strong scientific writing and communication skills;
• good command of English (international collaborations and research stays abroad are possible).

The following will be considered an asset:
• experience in psychophysiology;
• experience with virtual reality or immersive methods and/or programming skills (e.g., Python);
• knowledge of immunology or biological markers.

* APPLICATION *
Non-French-speaking applicants are welcome, provided they have a good command of English (both spoken and written), which is also required for French-speaking applicants.
The application should include:
• a detailed CV;
• a cover letter (1 page);
• Master's transcripts;
• a summary of the Master's thesis (maximum 1/2 page);
• one to two letters of recommendation.

Your Work Environment

The selected candidate will be affiliated with the GAIA Doctoral School at the University of Montpellier.

The selected candidate will join CEE-M (https://www.cee-m.fr/) and ISEM (https://isem-evolution.fr/en/equipe/evolutionary-anthropology-team/), two CNRS joint research units based in Montpellier. The project will be co-supervised by Arnaud Tognetti (CEE-M, CNRS), Camille Ferdenzi (CRNL, CNRS), and Marie Charpentier (ISEM, CNRS). Virtual reality experiments will be conducted at the NEURO-I platform of the CRNL (https://www.crnl.fr/fr/plateforme/neuro-i), which will require regular research stays in Lyon.

The research environment will be highly interdisciplinary, with access to:
• state-of-the-art experimental platforms;
• national collaborations;
• multidisciplinary supervision.

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

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