Thursday, January 28, 2021

PhD Student position at the BCBL- Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain)

 PhD Student position at the BCBL- Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain) www.bcbl.eu


  1. INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSITION 
  • Position: PhD student
  • Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1- up to the point of PhD)
  • Number of vacancies: 1
  • Project: HR18-000178 LA CAIXA FOUNDATION “HEALTH RESEARCH”
  • Location:  Spain > Donostia-San Sebastian
  • Research Field: Neuroscience > Cognition and Language
  • Type of contract/Duration of Contract : Temporary >  4 years
  • Job Status: Full-time
  • Hours per week: 35
  • Starting date: 02/05/2021
  • Application deadline: 28/02/2021
  • Information about the project: The Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language – BCBL- (Donostia-San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain) is offering a predoctoral position to work on a funded research project aimed at investigating the functional and structural role of thalamocortical projections on typical and atypical reading (i.e., Dyslexia). This multimodal MRI project capitalizes on the use of behavioral, functional MRI (fMRI), diffusion MRI (dMRI), quantitative MRI (qMRI) and machine learning techniques to provide new insights into how thalamocortical circuits support reading, and how reading disabilities may occur as a consequence of breakdowns in these circuits. The long-term goal of the project is to generate a novel mechanistic account of reading and dyslexia by using a pioneering multimodal neuroimaging approach to investigate (1) how dynamically coordinated thalamocortical and corticocortical networks orchestrate reading; and (2) how dyslexia is characterized by atypical functional connectivity and abnormal structural connections in different brain circuits.

The project is part of a collaborative research effort among several BCBL PIs, including Manuel Carreiras, Kepa Paz-Alonso, Marie Lallier and Cesar Caballero-Gaudes. The PhD student will join the Language and Memory Control group leaded by Kepa Paz-Alonso.

  • Job description: The selected candidate will collaborate in running experiments, codify and analyze data, give scientific presentations and write scientific manuscripts.
  • PI and research group: Dr. Kepa Paz-Alonso - Language and Memory Control
  1. CANDIDATES’ PROFILE AND SELECTION CRITERIA

Required skills: A strong methodological and theoretical background in cognitive neuroscience, biomedical engineering, or related fields. A strong level of written and spoken English.
Strong computational skills (Matlab, Python,...)

Desirable skills: Research experience with MRI will be an asset. Possession of a Master degree in cognitive neuroscience, biomedical engineering, experimental psychology or any other related area is highly recommended and will be positively evaluated.

 

  1. WORKING CONDITIONS

Salary: 17.000 Euros per year (gross salary)

Entitlements and other benefits: https://www.bcbl.eu/en/join-us/what-is-like-to-work-bcbl

Training opportunities and Career development plan: 

Researchers at any stage of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, are given an opportunity for professional development and for improving their employability through access to a Personal Career Development Plan which includes

(1) Training through individually personalized research projects under senior supervision

(2) Exchanging knowledge with the scientific community and the general public

(3) Network-wide training in theory and methods

(4) Complementary training courses

(5) Involvement in proposal writing, task coordination

(6) Development of skills for the organization of training and scientific events

 

  1. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:

Language policy

  • The corporative language at the Center is English but the national language will be an asset for this particular position
  • The center provides initial level Spanish and Basque lessons to all the international staff members
  • The interview will be conducted entirely in English
  1. APPLICATION PROCESS: 

Submission of the application and documentation:

To submit your application, please follow this link:  applying for “PhD Paz-Alonso's group (DYSTHAL) 2021” and attach the following documentation:

  • A curriculum vitae
  • A statement outlining research interests and motivation to apply for the position
  • Two letters of recommendation

Application process timetable:

  1. Deadline for application: 28/02/2021
  2. Evaluation by committee: 01/03/2021-05/03/2021
  3. Interviews: 08/03/2021-12/03/2021
  4. Final decision: 15/03/2021
  5. Feedback to all applicants: 15/03/2021
  6. Work contract start date: 02/05/2021

Contact details for enquiries: hr@bcbl.eu