About this position
Are you passionate about cognitive neuroscience and EEG research? Join our ERC-funded project exploring how the brain localises touch and represents the body in space. You will collaborate in an interdisciplinary research team and contribute to innovative studies using EEG, virtual reality, robotics and computational methods.
You will be part of the project 'The Body Positioning System: A GPS for somatosensory space'. The goal of the project is to uncover how the brain localises touch on the body in three dimensions (the body positioning system). How does the brain transform sensory input on the skin to a full-fledged three-dimensional body representation?
To make headway on this fundamental question, we are using a variety of neuroscientific approaches such as behavioural and M/EEG experiments that employ novel virtual reality and robot-based paradigms. We are also leveraging several analytical tools such as computational modelling and machine learning.
As a Research Assistant, you will help collect, analyse and interpret EEG data collected in the lab over a nine month period. Throughout your employment, your work will involve close collaboration with fellow members of the team, including MSc students, PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers. There will be weekly team meetings to discuss project progress as well as weekly lab meetings.
You will specifically be involved in two research projects: the first project will investigate which neural oscillations are involved in transforming touch from a sensory signal (i.e. where is the touch in space?) into a motor command (i.e. how should I move my eyes to look at the touch?). This question gets at the heart of the body positioning system. The second project will investigate how these sensorimotor transformations are re-used for representing tools in space.
Specifically, this project will investigate which neural oscillations underly the ability to localise and represent finger-extending exoskeletons in space. This project addresses how plastic the body positioning system is.
Requirements
Specific Requirements
- You hold a MSc degree in Cognitive Neuroscience or a relevant discipline such as Artificial Intelligence, Psychology, Cognitive Science or Engineering.
- You have a strong interest in and expertise in studying the neural correlates of tactile body representation.
- You have experience with collecting and analysing EEG data.
- You have experience with common programming languages such as Matlab, Python, R or C++.
- You are a team player who possesses good social, communication and organisational skills.
- You have a passion for science and the pursuit of knowledge.
How to apply
- Read the full advert on the source site — it carries the authoritative terms.
- Prepare your SOP, CV, transcripts and referees before the deadline.
- Apply through the university's own portal. Never pay a fee to a third party.