PhD Position in Stress, Coping, and Resilience Research

Department of Psychology **PhD Position in Stress, Coping, and Resilience Research 100 %** ================================================================= Start of employment 1st April 2027 or by agreement, temporary The Department of Psychology at the University of Zurich invites applications for a four-year PhD position within the SNSF-funded project “Building Resilience: A Lab-to-Life Investigation of How Control Beliefs and Active Coping Develop in Stressful Transitions”, led by Dr. Laura Meine. Moving beyond predicting who will be resilient, the project aims to investigate how resilience is actively built and sustained during stressful life transitions. Specifically, it examines how self-efficacy beliefs and coping strategies develop in response to unfamiliar stressors and contribute to psychological resilience. To this end, the project will combine computational modelling of data from laboratory experiments, pupillometry, and ecological momentary assessments in everyday life. The findings are expected to advance knowledge about the dynamic mechanisms underlying resilience and may inform interventions to support mental health during demanding life transitions. The successful candidate will play a central role in the project and be involved in all phases of the research process. They will be embedded within a supportive, multidisciplinary research group with opportunities for international collaboration. The position offers excellent prospects for scientific qualification and career development in resilience research, intensive longitudinal methods, and computational approaches to mental health. Alongside project work, the successful candidate will be enrolled in the PhD Programme in Psychology at the University of Zurich and receive structured training in advanced quantitative methods, open science practices, and transferable skills. **Your responsibilities** ------------------------- * Coordinate and conduct longitudinal studies * Implement and manage laboratory sessions involving behavioural tasks and psychophysiological measures, as well as ecological momentary assessments in everyday life * Recruit, monitor, and retain study participants * Collect, manage, and analyse research data * Lead the preparation of scientific manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and present findings at national and international conferences * Supervise Bachelor's and Master's theses * Contribute to the organisation of workshops and other project-related activities **Your profile** ---------------- * Master's degree or equivalent in Psychology or a related discipline * Strong interest in stress, resilience, mental health, self-efficacy, coping, or related topics * Sound knowledge of quantitative methods and statistical analysis (e.g., using R or Python) and an interest in learning new methods * Experience with ecological momentary assessment, multilevel modelling, longitudinal data analysis, or computational modelling is an advantage * Exce